A call for anti-racist immigration and nationality laws – Britain has relied on and benefited from immigration for centuries and yet Governments and their apparatus has chosen to discriminate against immigrant communities and black people. The Labour Movement is central to the campaign

Lobby of Parliament

Committee Room 12 – 2pm-4pm on the 15th June
Room booked by John McDonnell MP

The past year has seen a combination of changes in visa and settlement rules, namely – the imposition of higher thresholds for the Skilled Worker Route, a reduction in the length of the Graduate Route visa, an increase in the standard qualifying period for permanent residence and visa brakes on social care workers and student visas from several countries. These restrictions make it much more difficult for migrant workers and students to remain and settle in the country. After several years of contributing to our community, migrant workers are being forced to leave if their employers are unable to meet the required salary thresholds. Additionally, international students, who have brought their experience and built knowledge within our institutions are no longer able to remain and freely participate in the workforce. The increase in the qualifying period for permanent residence also violates the legitimate expectations that many migrants held while building their homes and integrating into the local community. In addition to these changes in the regulations, the fees for immigration and nationality applications have also been increased, despite the fact that the earlier amount was more than sufficient to cover the processing costs. Instead of being a procedural step, the fee now acts as an added instrument to restrict individuals from submitting immigration applications.

The impact of these changes on our community is worrying. We are experiencing unprecedented growth in racism and violence against individuals from marginalised communities. Both verbal and physical violence against ethnic minorities have become routine and gained a lot more acceptance within our streets. This has become an urgent cause for concern and I do not wish for this trend to continue within our constituency. I would like to request you to put forward the demand for anti-racist immigration laws within the Parliament and to encourage a democratic consultation on this with members from migrant communities. Changes to the immigration and nationality laws cannot be sneaked in through procedural changes, and need to be deliberated in a transparent and democratic way.