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| Britain |
| Temporary UK entry "should not give right to settle" |
| 2010-11-06 |
| (KUNA) -- Settling in Britain should be a cherished right and not an "automatic add-on" for migrants who enter the country temporarily for study or work, the UK Home Secretary said Friday. Theresa May said the Government did not want to bolt Britain's borders shut, but added that she wanted more for less from those coming to the UK. Outlining plans to tighten settlement rights for migrants entering temporarily to study or work, Mrs May said the consequences of "such unchecked permanent migration through the back door" were clear. "If people enter this country saying that they will only stay here temporarily then it is obvious that they should only stay here temporarily," She said. "Working in Britain for a short period should not give someone the right to settle in Britain. She added that "Studying a course in Britain should not give someone the right to settle in Britain. Settling in Britain should be a cherished right, not an automatic add-on to a temporary way in." The Home Secretary also pledged to crack down on immigration abuse in order to restore public confidence in the system. In her first major speech on immigration policy here, she said the number of non-EU migrants had to be reduced to "sustainable levels". Between 1997 and 2009, net migration was 2.2 million people - more than twice the population of Birmingham, central England. Mrs May said she would shortly bring forward proposals to cut the number. Net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and the number emigrating - stood at 196,000 last year. The coalition government has promised at least to halve this figure by by 2015. In June, the Home Office introduced a temporary limit of 24,100 work visas for non-EU citizens. Permanent measures will be brought in from April 2011 but the final decision on the figure is not expected until next month, officials said. |
| Posted by:Fred |