Immigration debate: More than 1,300 skilled visa applications were rejected by the Home Office in June July 27, 2015 A cap introduced on Tier 2 visas by the Home Office was reached for the first time in June, resulting in 1,329 visa applications being rejected. A freedom of information request by technology publication Techworld showed that after the cap of 1,650 was hit, the UK authorities rejected applications for the first time since it [...]
Eurotunnel wants €10m compensation from British and French governments as security costs rise to €13m due to migrant crisis July 22, 2015 The operator of Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, wants €9.7m (£6.8m) in compensation from British and French authorities, as it has racked up a €13m security bill due to damage caused by the ongoing migrant crisis. The escalating number of migrants coming from the Mediterranean, looking to enter the UK through Calais, has sent security costs up [...]
Stricter visa rules to give firms headache amid skills shortage July 21, 2015 Proposed changes to rules governing who can work in the UK threaten to exacerbate the skills shortage facing employers, the head of a major recruiting body has warned. “Our data show that almost all businesses are operating at capacity and want to take on more staff to meet demand, but the reality is that chronic [...]
The UK government’s student immigration policy is bad for business and the economy July 20, 2015 Education, particularly higher education, is one of this country’s great success stories. Every year thousands of students come here to learn and along the way they become lifelong friends of Britain. Nonsensically, the government seem intent on making this whole process harder. Under current rules most students can apply for a work visa while still [...]
James Dyson warns business secretary Sajid Javid on foreign students immigration policy July 19, 2015 Sir James Dyson is not happy with business secretary Sajid Javid. Javid last week insisted foreign students should leave after their studies, indicating a fresh push by the government to introduce new legislation cracking down on their right to work after graduating. Now the hugely respected entrepreneur has attacked the business secretary's stance saying that the [...]
Red tape to blame for City skills shortage: Demand for professionals stays strong but supply hampered by UK immigration rules July 7, 2015 Tough immigration rules and excessive regulatory standards has left City firms with severe skills shortages, according to new surveys. Growth in the number of jobs secured dropped to a two-year low in June, data released today by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation revealed. Demand for professional workers – which covers finance, law and IT among [...]
Some 150 migrants try to storm Calais Channel Tunnel terminal, delaying services July 4, 2015 Some 150 migrants have caused chaos for Channel Tunnel services, as they attempted to storm the terminal in Calais. The people entered restricted areas overnight, causing severe delays and cancelling trains, according to operator Eurotunnel. Read more: UK immigration: These charts show how net migration has increased, where migrants are coming from and why they migrate [...]
Cambridge head Sir Leszek Borysiewicz slams UK immigration policy July 3, 2015 The head of Cambridge University has slammed the government's inclusion of overseas students in the UK migration target as "ludicrous" and "crazy". "One of the biggest threats currently facing UK universities is the issue of international movement and controls on immigration," Sir Leszek Borysiewicz wrote in a pamphlet entitled A Story of Immigration, Students and Targets. "It is [...]
OECD: The more immigrants there are in an area, the better integrated they are July 2, 2015 As the UK prepares to vote over its membership of the European Union, immigration has become an increasingly potent issue. Read more: Ukip mapped: Nigel Farage most popular in areas with the fewest immigrants But although polls have shown migration to be one of voters’ main concerns, an OECD report on migration published today suggests that although immigration [...]
Migration pushes UK population up by 500,000 to a new record June 25, 2015 The population of the UK has hit a record high, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said, with the average age also reaching a new peak. The population at 30 June 2014 is estimated to have been 64,596,800, an increase of 491,100 or 0.77 per cent on the year before. Most of the increase [...]