Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Immigration Law - Essay Example (thomson 5) The first type is that of the skilled workers who come to UK under the official work permit scheme. These migrants make up about a third of the business and information services sector and a quarter of the healthcare sector. The second category of immigrants is composed of the relatives of British citizens coming to join them. These are frequently not economic migrants and do not contribute to the country with work. The third category is made of asylum seekers. Lastly, the fourth type is made up of illegal immigrants. The British Government has formulated policies that welcome the first type into its fold. But its policies regarding the other three are getting more and more stringent. As we will find out later in this paper that non-EEA immigrants who are not skilled are increasingly finding themselves excluded from the job market in the UK. (a) Non- EEA workers usually work under the work permit scheme. This scheme was formalized in 1980. In this scheme, the employer has to apply on behalf of a particular employee for a specific job. He has to show that there are no other resident workers available for the same job and with the requisite skills and experience. Work permits are then granted for work up to five years, and workers are then eligible to apply for 'indefinite leave to remain.' The employer has to support the application for it to be granted. (b) Under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme farmers and growers and students in full time education can take up work for a period of not exceeding three months. The government has increased the quota of workers under this scheme recently. (c) Another scheme is the Working Holidaymaker Scheme, which provides the young Commonwaealth citizens to holiday for 2 years in the UK and work alongside full-time for 50% of the time or work part-time for more than 50% of their stay. This provides a good avenue for work for migrants from non-EEA countries. (d) There is also a Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, under which highly talented and accomplished individuals are taken in as workers in UK. In this scheme, the application comes directly from the individuals, not the employers. They are assessed on a point system which covers qualifications, experience, to some extent age, etc. (e) Under the Innovators Scheme those individuals are allowed entry into the UK who have business ideas which will bring economic benefit to the UK but they are not qualified under any other scheme. (f) The last group of workers is Asylum seekers and refugees. The asylum seekers are normally not allowed to work while their applications are under consideration. However, if a decision has not come after six months, they can apply for permission to work. After they are granted refugee status, they can freely work and do not need to be granted permission from the Home Office to do so. 2. Policies governing Immigrants and Asylum seekers 2.1 The British Government has passed, over many years, several acts governing the issues related with immigrants and asylum seekers. These are: Immigration Act 1971, Immigration Act 1988, Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993, Asylum and Immig