Changes to immigration rules announced by Starmer

[OneAmberFinch]

Full white paper here is extensive and announces changes to all avenues of migration - basically their approach to resolving the issues of massively increased migration from 2019-2023/4.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821aec3f16c0654b19060ac/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper.pdf

And Starmer's commentary on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt

Handful of headline changes: default timeline to get ILR to go to 10 years instead of 5; abolishing new care worker visas; raising skills threshold for Skilled Workers back up to graduate level; increasing minimum grades required for student visas; various bits and pieces around English language requirements among several other policies

What price power eh. What a complete crumble. From everyone’s far right to island of strangers.

Agree with your take on Starmer.

So they want to gouge legal immigrants for even more money for twice as long.

So glad we are leaving this summer. Never coming back.

Asylum seekers get free accommodation (full board) , free dental treatment, access to NHS services, schooling for their children, access to free legal representation and £8.86 "spend"

Asylum seekers are not immigrants.

Which benefits do immigrants get dished out like confetti?

"Asylum seekers are not immigrants."

Really? 🤔

Well, they aren't natives of this country so they must be "immigrants".

I totally agree with you, the job is terribly underpaid & has been for many years. However, the cost of this would be added to the already sky high care costs for residents and/or local councils to pay. When we’re already talking of fees of up to £1500 per week (dementia home with challenging behaviour), how is anyone going to afford this?

Oh dear

Immigrants in the UK may be entitled to certain benefits, but eligibility depends on their immigration status and whether they have a "no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) condition on their visa or leave to remain. Those with NRPF may be limited in their access to mainstream benefits. Asylum seekers can receive housing and cash support, while refugees may be eligible for benefits like Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Housing Benefit.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

1. Benefits Accessible to Most Immigrants:

NHS Healthcare:
Even if an immigrant has an NRPF condition, they are still entitled to free NHS healthcare.

Refugee Integration Loan:
Refugees may be eligible for a refugee integration loan to help with rent, household items, or education and training.

1. Benefits Subject to Immigration Status and NRPF:

Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Housing Benefit:
Refugees and those with leave to remain may be eligible for these benefits, depending on their circumstances.

Other Benefits:
Many other benefits, like Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Child Benefit, and Discretionary payments, also have NRPF restrictions.

1. "No Recourse to Public Funds" (NRPF):

Effect: NRPF means that individuals with this condition on their visa or leave to remain cannot claim most mainstream benefits, tax credits, or housing assistance. Exceptions: While NRPF restricts access to many benefits, there are exceptions, such as certain benefits related to disability or specific circumstances.

Do you have a problem with that logic?

Not quite dished out like confetti are they?

The current plan includes sponsoring people to come here, work as care workers for 5 years, then get to stay here for the rest of their lives and need carers themselves. So in the long term it's not great.

I do agree that at some point we as a society will need to grapple with care costs but the care worker visa was not the right solution

If you google it yes they are immigrants, so you’re not wrong on that.

We've got 8 million working age adults economically inactive. Many born here, many not.

We need to look at getting them into work before importing more millions here.

In the UK, an immigrant is someone who has moved to the country and intends to live there permanently, while an asylum seeker is someone who is seeking protection from persecution in their home country, but hasn't yet been granted refugee status. Once an asylum seeker is recognized as a refugee, they are granted refugee status and have certain rights, which differ from those of a regular immigrant.

I don't know the answer to that.

Years ago people looked after their elderly relatives themselves and nursing/care homes were unheard of.
We had our grandfather living with us for years.
Other people with funds available have "granny flats" built on or have static caravans in the back garden.
They cope with care/nursing support..

OK but they still cost the taxpayer money whatever definition you use.

It needs to be more means tested. If people are here and contributing then they should stay, particularly if they're a net positive in terms of tax burden

If people are on visas and are not contributing then they've no cause to be here beyond their visa expiry

Worth noting that no recourse to public funds a) is essentially "unless you're really poor and you need it" due to the several exemptions and b) doesn't include ALL forms of public subsidy including some job-related benefits, NHS access, state schools etc. So if you have a relatively low salary, your net tax contribution may still be negative due to use of these services.

Note: legal migrants do pay a fee for healthcare when applying but it was, until a couple years ago, considerably lower than the average amount used so there was still a subsidy there.

So do you, me and everyone else

Depends on your point of view.
They aren't loans and can't be claimed back.
So they are a net drain on the system.

Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland all require 10 years continuous residency before you can apply for citizenship.
In Switzerland, if you’ve claimed social assistance, you won’t get citizenship (this does not include unemployment benefit as that is an insurance, not paid by government).
10 years seems reasonable, maybe with a 5 year ‘fast track’ for doctors etc (not care workers).

Another miss by Labour (and I voted for them...).

People are rightly concerned about illegal immigration. Nothing was said about how the government is planning to address the 'small boats' crisis.

Instead a lot of nonsense about care workers who are incredibly hard working, do the jobs that British people don't want to do and without whom the social care system would collapse.

Not to mention the horrid ''island of strangers'' comment who is an insult to immigrants who made the UK their home following legal routes and who contribute to the economy.

The man is truly useless.

Who are you talking about?

Immigrants pay taxes

Asylum seekers can start working once their claim has been granted and will start paying taxes then as well.

They may well pay for your benefits if you ever need to claim

The problem is that some people abuse the system.
They come here on a study visa and as soon as the Uni course is finished they apply for asylum saying they are now gay or have converted to Christianity and so they can't return home.

https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/national/24179052.asylum-seekers-seeking-baptism-melted-away-rigorous-process---ex-priest/

What about the 400 that arrived this morning by boat. I think he is ignoring the issue in Kent. It’s not legal immigration. It’s the boats. That’s what upsets the residents and leads to voting for reform. Call them ignorant, Racist, NIMBY, but that is the concern not the staff working in care homes.