This poster can be used for educational purposes. It’s message reminds us that the earth is not ours to ‘buy and sell for private gain. You poor take courage
You rich take care, This earth was made a common treasury For everyone to share‘ (Billy Bragg: The World Turned Upside Down)
… but the UK Government is using its power to steal and entice prestigious award winners from other countries whom it deems to be useful for UK, whilst destroying lives of others who are already here, all of whom have something to offer, given the chance. The call for StatusNow4All is absolutely relevant in these times of injustice.
From Loraine: Recently when I was interviewed for a short documentary out in June, the man asked – some refugees have done great things. I corrected him because it’s not about great things, it’s about having a second chance at your life. Its about being able to live freely like everyone else. We can’t push every refugee to be a superhero (if at all it exists) in order to be accepted. Accept us as human beings. Why is that hard?
Evening Standard: India to take back illegal migrants in return for UK visas for young workers
The UK and India have signed an agreement for the Asian country to take back illegal migrants in return for visas for young workers.
The pact, agreed on Tuesday, will provide enhanced employment opportunities for 3,000 young Indian professionals annually.
But this can only happen if India agrees to take back any of its citizens who are living in the UK illegally.
Speaking at a news conference, Indian foreign ministry official Sandeep Chakravorty said: “It is our solemn duty that Indian nationals who are undocumented, or are in distress abroad and not being given nationality.
The UK Government said the deal aimed to attract “the best and brightest, and supporting people coming to the UK through legal routes while stopping the abuse of the system and speeding up the removal of those who have no right to be in the UK.”
Read more: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/india-uk-illegal-migrants-b933225.html?amp
The Windrush Movement – UK: · A successful UK-born actor is facing deportation to Jamaica, threatening his film career and potentially tearing his family apart, The Independent can reveal. Ace Ruele Aristotles, who has appeared in Eastenders, The Legend of Tarzan and New Blood, has only ever visited Jamaica twice and has three children in Britain. The 33-year-old was born in London to a Jamaican mother – who did not have British citizenship at the time – and subsequently given indefinite leave to remain.
also …Independent: UK-born actor Ace Ruele faces deportation to Jamaica
Born and raised in London, Ace Ruele Aristotles has three children in UK
A successful UK-born actor is facing deportation to Jamaica, threatening his film career and potentially tearing his family apart, The Independent can reveal…
6 May 2021: Guardian: Judge criticises Priti Patel over policy for asylum seekers in pandemic
Court hears home secretary may have acted unlawfully in changing accommodation policy
A high court judge has criticised the British home secretary in court and said he found it “extremely troubling” after one of her officials admitted the Home Office might have acted unlawfully in changing its asylum accommodation policy during the pandemic.
Mr Justice Garnham raised concerns in court on Thursday that the home secretary, Priti Patel, could have been distributing public funds without legal authority.
He was hearing four linked cases from asylum seekers challenging the lawfulness of the home secretary’s policy to evict some refused asylum seekers during the pandemic.
During the hearing the Home Office was accused of unlawfully altering parts of the accommodation policy.
6 May 2021: Guardian: Home Office unlawfully stopped family joining Windrush woman, court rules
Family of Lynda Mahabir will be able to join her in UK without paying large immigration fees
The Home Office unlawfully prevented the children and husband of a Windrush generation woman from joining her in the UK, separating the family for almost three years in a manner the high court ruled represented “a colossal interference” in her right to family life.
In a significant judgment that could help many others from the Windrush cohort to bring close relatives to the UK, the family of Lynda Mahabir, who was stuck outside the UK for almost 40 years, will now be able to join her in Britain without paying thousands of pounds in immigration fees.
A Trinidadian national, Mahabir, 52, was brought to London as a two-month-old baby in 1969 and remained here until 1977 when her father took her back to Trinidad to live with him. She was eligible for British citizenship but was unaware of her rights. As a result she was unable to return, and was separated for more than 40 years from her mother and half-siblings in the UK until the Home Office immigration scandal broke in 2018, when the government promised to right the wrongs done to the Windrush generation.
Gov.uk: Fast track immigration route opens for prestigious award winners
Streamlined route to work and live in the UK opens for prize winners from across science, humanities, engineering, the arts and digital technology.
Winners of awards, including Nobel Prizes, the Turing Award, Oscars and Golden Globes, will be able to live and work in the UK more easily under reforms being introduced by the Home Office.
From today (May 5) individuals who have won prestigious awards from across the sciences, humanities, engineering, the arts and digital technology will be able to take advantage of changes to the Global Talent visa route.
Currently, people on the Global Talent route have to successfully apply to one of six endorsing bodies. The new fast track route launching today would allow applicants who hold a qualifying prize to fast track the endorsement application and instead make a single visa application.
The eligible prize winners include:
- science, technology, engineering and maths: Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry, Economic Science and Medicine; Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering; Fields Medal; Turing Award
- music: Brit Award – International Male/Female; Mobo – Best International Act; Grammys – Lifetime Achievement Award
- film, TV and theatre: Various Academy Award and Golden Globe categories; Bafta – Best Film Actress/Actor/Director; various Tony Awards and Olivier Awards
- arts & literature: Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize; Hugo Boss Prize; Nobel Prize – Literature
Winners of certain awards across dance, fashion, architecture, and social sciences will also be included.
The Global Talent route is part of the UK’s new points-based immigration system, which will attracts the best and brightest to the country depending on the skills they can bring, rather than their nationality.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
Winners of these awards have reached the pinnacle of their career and they have so much to offer the UK. These important changes will give them the freedom to come and work in our world leading arts, sciences, music, and film industries as we build back better.
This is exactly what our new point-based immigration system was designed for – attracting the best and brightest based on the skills and talent they have, not where they’ve come from.
The government has worked with the endorsing bodies to draft the initial list of qualifying prizes, which will be kept under review.
Since it came into force in February 2020 thousands of people have used the Global Talent route to enter the UK.