Asylum seekers deportation by UKBA

Days after Home Secretary Theresa May announced that UK Border Agency (UKBA) is to be scrapped, human rights campaigners have again accused the agency of trying to deport a vulnerable female asylum seeker to 

Responding to the Government’s decision, the Liberal Democrats’ LGBT group said LGBT and general asylum cases needed to be handled better by officials.

For the past several years, human rights groups have frequently documented alleged cases of UKBA deporting LGBT asylum seekers back to countries where they face homophobic persecution.

The claims have always been denied by UKBA and the Home Office.

One of the most recent alleged cases involved Jackie Nanyonjo, a lesbian who was deported back to Uganda in January; she died earlier this month in the country.

Campaign group Movement for Justice by Any Means Necessary (MFJ) fought unsuccessfully to prevent her deportation.

MFJ say they are now fighting against the imminent deportation order of another Ugandan asylum seeker who goes by the name of Christine.

The group said: “Christine is in a fight for her life, and her right to live freely, in safety from persecution. In Uganda Christine was subjected to sexual abuse in the family; she gave birth to her father’s child. To be forced back to Uganda means being driven back into that family as she has no one else there.”

MFJ added: “This demonstrates the total hypocrisy of the politicians who claim to be on the side of women and girls, yet continue to lock up and deport a constant flow of women like Christine”.

According to MFJ, Christine was due to be deported on Friday 28 March. Source: Pink News.

Last week Theresa May lost her appeal against a ruling preventing the deportation of preacher Abu Qatada.

Split in UK Border Agency

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) was created by the Labour Home Secretary John Reid, who said that the immigration department was “not fit for purpose”, in 2008 as an separate agency of the Home Office but Mrs May said this had led to a “secretive culture”.

The UKBA will now be split for the second in just over a year, time into parts focusing on the visa system and on immigration law enforcement, with both sections reporting directly to ministers.

In 2012 May ruled that the UK Border Force – responsible for day-to-day operations – would stop being part of the agency and become a separate law-enforcement body.

She told Parliament: “Performance of what remains of UKBA is still not good enough. The Agency struggles with the volume of its casework, which has led to historical backlogs running into the hundreds of thousands.

What is life in the UK test

Why has the test been introduced?

Becoming a British citizen or deciding to settle permanently in this country is an important event in your life. If you are applying for naturalisation as a British citizen or for indefinite leave to remain, you will need to show that you know about life in the UK. If you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can do this in two ways: by taking the Life in the UK Test or by taking combined English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and citizenship classes.

How long does the test last?

You will have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions. This gives you plenty of time to choose your answers and check them again before the end. You do not need to rush to finish the test quickly; remember to use all of the time that you are given. If you have certain medical conditions, you may be allowed more time. You must let us know of any medical conditions when you book your test.

When do I get the results?

You will find out your results when the test session has finished. The test supervisor will tell you whether or not you have passed.

Is there a pass mark?

The pass mark for the test is around 75%.

New immigration rules coming 6 April 2013

The UK Border Agency said the new Immigration Rules (HC1039) will come into effect on 6 April 2013, and will include changes to:
The Tier 1 (Graduate entrepreneur) route, to include additional places for talented MBA graduates from UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This will also include the UK Trade and Investment’s elite global graduate entrepreneur scheme.
The Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) route, to split the application process so that applicants will no longer have to pay the full fee up front. This will also mean applicants will not have to submit their passport to us while their application for endorsement by a designated competent body is being considered.
Tier 2, to improve the flexibility for intra-company transferees and for employers carrying out the resident labour market test.
The shortage occupation list and the codes of practice for skilled workers.
Tier 4, to allow completing PhD students to stay in the UK for one year beyond the end of their course to find skilled work or to set up as an entrepreneur.
Family and private life – these are minor changes to reflect feedback from legal practitioners and our caseworkers.
In addition a number of technical changes, corrections and updates to will also be made to the Immigration Rules. These include:
Making minor changes to ensure there are the necessary requirements for granting discretionary leave to unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and amending the length of discretionary leave granted to these young people to simplify the process and provide some continuity for them;
clarifying the general visitor rules;
updating the provisions in Tier 5 for temporary workers;
minor changes to the Rules on long residence and on work-related settlement; and
introducing a new protection route recognising stateless persons.
For full details of the changes please see the Statement of Changes to the Immigration rules (HC 1039) and the Explanatory Memorandum on the right side of this page. The written ministerial statement can found on the Home office website. Further information on the Changes to Tier 4 and Tier 1 are available on the relevant pages of the UK Border Agency website. Source: UK Border Agency.
This surprise minor relaxation of the Immigration Rules is the first time the coalition Government has eased up on its plans to reduce migration to ‘tens of thousands’ by 2015.

New Visa fees from 6 April 2013

Today, Immigration Minister Mark Harper laid a written ministerial statement proposing fee increases for visa applications made overseas, and applications made in the UK.

The proposals laid in Parliament today and on 14 March, subject to Parliamentary approval, will take effect from 6 April 2013.

Immigration Minister, Mark Harper said:

'These increases are mostly in line with inflation and will ensure that the UK continues to welcome the brightest and the best. It is only right that those who use and benefit from the immigration system should contribute more than the UK taxpayer.'

The proposed fee increases takes place against a difficult financial context for the UK Border Agency and the government as a whole. We believe our proposals to increase fees strike the right balance between ensuring the UK Border Agency continues to provide a world class service and maintaining a fees structure that does not inhibit the UK's ability to continue to attract those businesses, migrants and visitors who most benefit the UK.

These adjustments will also allow us to improve our levels of customer service and deliver a high quality immigration service at a challenging time for public finances across the UK.

Uk Student Visas 2013

Figures released by UCAS show a 9.9 per cent increase in number of students applying to UK universities from China and a 19.3 per cent on those from India.

The figures show that while our reforms of the student visa route have tackled abuse, they have not put students off of coming to study at UK universities.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said:

'The increase in non-EEA student applications is further proof that the UK remains open to the brightest and the best and international students.

'In particular, numbers from India and China have seen big increases. This shows that despite stories to the contrary, students continue to want to come to the UK to study at our world class universities.

'We have tackled abuse of the student route head on - without affecting genuine students. By protecting the reputation of the British education system will we be able to compete in a global race.'

Super Priority Visa Service in India

The Prime Minister has announced details of a super priority visa service which will allow frequent travellers from India to have their visas processed in just one day.

The new scheme begins in March and will be available at application centres in Delhi and Mumbai. It has been set up following feedback from prominent Indian businesses and will run alongside the current priority and standard visa services.

It is easier than ever before for Indian nationals to apply for a visa, with UKBA operating 12 visa application centres across India, more application centres than any other country.

This service does not replace the process for expediting visas on compassionate grounds.

Visas for Chinese nationals - the facts

Visas for Chinese nationals - the facts30 January 2013The United Kingdom is open for business and tourism and China is one of the UK's priority markets.We have seen continual growth in visitor numbers from China, with the vast majority of those who apply not only getting a visa, but speaking highly of the service they receive when they do.From 2010 to 2011 the UK saw 28 per cent growth in visit visas issued compared to France, which saw 19 per cent growth for the same period (Home Office statistics).In 2011 we processed more than 283,000 visas from Chinese nationals worldwide (Home Office statistics).These statistics show that visitors from China want to come to Britain and that the door is open for those legitimate visitors who wish to do so.Key facts94 per cent of Chinese visitors who apply for a visa get one (Home Office statistics).96 per cent of applicants surveyed who have applied for a visa said that they were satisfied with the service they received (UK Border Agency customer satisfaction surveys Asia Pacific October - December 2012).97 per cent of non-settlement visas from Chinese nationals are processed within 15 days (and 54 per cent within 5 days) (see China's processing times).99 per cent of business visit visas are decided within 15 days (75 per cent within 5 days) (see China's processing times).We are committed to providing an ever improving service, listening and acting on feedback from our customers.We have shortened application forms for tourists, simplified documents required to make an application, and started accepting photocopies of key documents. For businesses we have set up a dedicated network of staff to support them with the visa application process.Key factsThe average length of a visa application form is 6 pages (including the disclaimer).The average UK visa costs £81, which is multiple entry for 6 months to 5 years. The Schengen visa is only single entry and lasts for 3 months.A visa to travel to China costs a UK citizen around £126.Our website has information and guidance translated into Chinese and applicants have access to a Chinese language phone and email service.Online application forms will also be translated in Chinese from later this year.We have around twice as many visa application centres in China than Schengen (European) countries.Our application system allows applicants to fill in forms and book appointments online.For businesses we have set up a dedicated network of staff to support them with the visa application process.From spring this year we will offer a service to some businesses where we will go to them to capture fingerprints of their employees travelling to the UK, to help speed up the system even further.