Britain may abolish ancestry visa

[Snowden]

Britain may abolish ancestry visa

By Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor
Last Updated: 3:01pm GMT 21/02/2008


Britain is proposing to sever its historic ties to tens of thousands of Commonwealth nationals who have an automatic right through descent to live and work here.

The small print of this week’s Home Office green paper charting new pathways to citizenship suggests the ancestry visa might be abolished.


The visa enables people aged 17 or over whose grandparents were born in the UK to come for four years and eventually apply to stay.

It is used mainly by young Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans coming to Britain to work and as a base to explore Europe.

The ancestry provisions were introduced in 1972 after legislation the previous year overhauled Commonwealth citizenship rights
Those entering under the UK ancestry route have free access to the labour market on entry.

However, the Government is in the process of introducing a points-based system for work permits and tougher rules for obtaining citizenship.

The green paper says: "We need to decide whether a Commonwealth national’s ancestral connections to the UK are sufficient to allow them to come here to work without the need to satisfy a resident labour market test."

The paper, which is open for consultation, asks: '"Do you think the UK ancestry route should be abolished?"

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, Austin Mitchell, Labour MP for Great Grimsby, says the proposal shows a "contempt for the long historic associations between Britain, New Zealand and Australia."

He adds: "We should have serious doubts about the judgment of ministers and officials who are willing to stir up the feelings of bitterness and betrayal which will be provoked by their unthinking lack of concern for historic ties which so many of us value, here as well as there."

In 2006. around 8,500 ancestry visa holders came to the UK and around 20,000 Commonwealth citizens have applied for settlement since 2002 Mr Mitchell last night said he proposed to table a Commons motion to increase pressure on Ministers to drop the idea.

"What is happening here is that in a general rush to make ourselves European, we are trying to shrug off our Commonwealth commitments."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2008/02/22/noindex/nvisa121.xml

[Chrisj]

It's not very often I agree with Austin Mitchell but this time he is spot on, there has been a gradual move away from our ties with the Commonwealth in attempt to make us good Europeans. We have to a great extent turned our backs on them as trade partners in an obscene effort to curry favour with our European neighbours. We shouldn't forget that in two world wars it was the Commonwealth how provided men and materials right from their very start.

[milmor_1]

The Commonwealth states , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India have all sacrificed men and women in two world wars and numerous other conflicts at the behest (and out of loyalty) to the UK, it would be a betrayal of those dead heroes and the commonwealth countries to bring in such a law.

There must be better ways to deal with immigration issues than betrayal.

[Snowden]

I was really disappointed that Britain joined the EU. Of course, it's almost a matter of survival, but it seems to me that it was done badly. Was it because of Tony Blaim wanting to be the PM, or whatever takes that place, in the EU?

Immigration problems have soared since that alliance, haven't they.

[conlor]

A lot of Europeans were paid fare and other benefits a couple generations ago, to move to Australia. I worked with a couple from Yugoslavia who went there. Both their sons were born in Australia. They moved back to Europe in their late 30's, but lived in Germany. They had gotten used to a better life than Yugoslavia could give them. Very nice people.

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by milmor_1

The Commonwealth states , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India have all sacrificed men and women in two world wars and numerous other conflicts at the behest (and out of loyalty) to the UK, it would be a betrayal of those dead heroes and the commonwealth countries to bring in such a law.

There must be better ways to deal with immigration issues than betrayal.

That too. Looks to me like they're cutting off what have been excellent immigrants who assimilated into the culture and still have the ones who isolate coming in. One would think they would encourage the ones who add to the country.