NY Times: “U.K.’s New Immigration Rules Will Restrict Low-Skilled Workers”

The UK government last week announced plans to block low-skilled workers in order to cut overall immigration from Europe and elsewhere. Under a new post-Brexit points-based immigration system starting January 2021, immigrants to the UK will have to meet certain criteria to qualify for a work visa, including having specific skills, the ability to speak English, and having a job offer with a minimum salary threshold of £25,600 (about $33,300), with only some exceptions.

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US Increasingly Denying Entry to Muslims and Individuals of Certain Countries

In recent weeks, Muslims and individuals from certain countries are reportedly being refused entry to the US, leading some to think that innocent individuals are being caught up in increased US security measures.

Muslim Family Headed to Disneyland Denied Entry

In one case, a British Muslim family was barred earlier this month from flying from Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom to the US for a vacation at Disneyland. Mohammed Zahid Mahmood said he and his family—which included two brothers and nine children—were not allowed to travel to the US for vacation, despite previously having obtained clearance. He told the BBC that his children were "traumatised, really upset" about the cancelled trip. "They think they've done something wrong," he said. "I want an explanation, and what's going to happen next. I would still like to go to America, I would like my kids to fulfil their dreams."

Stella Creasy, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said that her inquires to US officials on why her constituents—Mahmood and his family—were not allowed to board the flight to the US were not answered, and consequently she wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron to look into the matter, citing a "growing fear" among British Muslims that “aspects of Trump's plans are coming into practice even though they have been widely condemned.”

Because of other instances of US airlines either preventing Muslims or “Middle Eastern-looking” individuals from flying as well as alleged mistreatment, some think that presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims visiting the US and other anti-Muslim sentiment and discrimination in the US has led to increased and overly-aggressive scrutiny of Muslim and Middle-Eastern travelers to the US.

While Cameron’s office said they are investigating the matter, a top Muslim group in the UK said the incident appears to be related to the travelers’ religion and is very concerning to British Muslims. A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman told ABC News that the "religion, faith or spiritual beliefs of an international traveler are not determining factors" for admittance to the US and that people can be denied entry for numerous reasons including health-related issues, prior criminal convictions, security concerns, or other grounds. The Muslim Council of Britain says the last-minute denial of boarding without explanation is unfair for Muslims. "There is a perception that such decisions are being made due to the faith or political activism of individuals," the council stated. 

Mahmood, whose family reportedly spent £9,000 on tickets for the Disneyland flights, told the Guardian that they received no explanation for why they were not allowed to board their flight, but he believed it was “because of the attacks on America—they think every Muslim poses a threat.” According to news reports, the US Embassy in London has not issued any comments or clarifications as to why Mahmood and his family were not permitted to travel to the US to visit Disneyland or regarding any increased travel security restrictions.

British Imam Ajmal Masroor Denied Entry

Ajmal Masroor, a British imam and broadcaster, reports he was also prevented from traveling to the US for business, despite having traveled to the US multiple times already this year. While Masroor was originally denied an ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, after US Embassy staff contacted him to apply, he had been granted a business and tourism B1/B2 visa, which he said he used to travel to the US.

“In my mind, the refusal and revoking of my visa was calculated. For me it’s very callous,” he told the Guardian. In response, the US Embassy in London said: “The embassy is aware of this matter. We are in contact with the individual and therefore have no further public comment at this time.” Masroor believes US officials are singling out Muslims. "This is absolutely discrimination. It is not acceptable and playing into the hands of the terrorists," he said. Masroor also said he had heard of twenty similar cases of fellow Muslims being denied entry to the US, and David Cameron has been informed of additional cases as well.

In addition, Indian students have been denied entry to the US. In two separate cases, twenty Indian students with valid student visas for colleges in California were denied entry in Chicago and returned to India, and nineteen students were barred from boarding an Air India plane headed to San Francisco for the same schools.

It’s not only travelers to the US being excluded entrance, but Australia has also faced criticism for denying entry to certain individuals, including Zahra Ramadani, a Syrian-born British national whose visa was issued and revoked without explanation right before she was scheduled to fly to Sydney, and a Pakistani family who were trying to visit their terminally ill son who was unable to travel out of Australia.

Those who are planning a visit to the US should be aware of the proper ESTA and visa procedures and requirements, and also their rights if denied entry.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron's Immigration Speech

A week after President Obama announced his executive actions on immigration reform, UK Prime Minister David Cameron made his own immigration speech, saying: "Immigration benefits Britain, but it needs to be controlled."

Citing the dramatic increase in immigration since 2004, Mr. Cameron proposed to "reduce the current exceptionally high level of migration from within the EU into the UK" by returning net migration to 1990s levels, when "proper immigration controls meant immigration was in the tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands."

To achieve this, he proposed to restrict time that EU-job seekers can legally stay in the UK to six months unless employment is found, change the alleged overly generous British welfare system so that those who claim benefits, tax credits, and child benefit must live and contribute for a minimum of four years, and increase residency requirements for social housing to four years.

Moreover, to decrease the level of undocumented and non-EU immigrants in the UK, Mr. Cameron pledged to continue to make "Britain a much harder place to exist as an illegal immigrant" by stopping undocumented immigrants from opening a bank account, obtaining a driver's license, and renting a home, as well as penalizing colleges who don't do enough to prevent foreign students from overstaying their visa.

Mr. Cameron made his self-admitted "radical" proposals after his failure to reduce immigration numbers, a promise he made before the 2010 election. 

Germany has warned that any attempt to stop the free movement of EU workers will not be tolerated, and Poland reacted with strong disapproval to Mr. Cameron's proposed four-year timeframe before foreign workers would be eligible for welfare benefits.

A Guardian editorial also criticized Mr. Cameron's use of the "stereotype of immigrant scroungers and its belief that unchecked immigration is one of the biggest problems facing Britain. This flies in the face of the evidence, which points to the fact that EU migrants put in more than they take out financially; that they use public services less than British citizens because many leave their families at home; and that the proportion of jobless EU migrants is tiny."

When it comes to the possibility of Britain leaving the EU if these issues cannot be resolved, Mr. Cameron said, "I rule nothing out." In the meantime as his immigration proposals are considered, Mr. Cameron wants to do more mentoring to help people with "'interview skills or CVs or just giving people a bit of confidence.'" Presumably, though, he does not mean immigrants since they have received "disproportionate numbers of jobs" in the UK.

New York Times: "After Outcry, Britain Bars ‘Pickup Artist’ From Entering"

Julien Blanc, a "pickup artist" who leads dating boot camps around the world and whose advice he claims will "make girls beg to sleep with you," has been denied entry to the United Kingdom, The New York Times reports, becoming "possibly the first man ever denied a visa on grounds of sexism."

Home Secretary Theresa May made the decision to bar Mr. Blanc following international criticism over his dating seminars and a petition, signed by more than 150,000, that stated: “To allow this man into the UK legitimises sexual assault and predation, and sends a message that women are playthings or objects without agency.”

A Home Office spokesman said that the "'home secretary has the power to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good or if their exclusion is justified on public policy grounds[.]'"

Mr. Blanc's methods and advice have been described as sexist and abusive, and earlier this year he was forced to leave Australia after protests and a social media campaign (#TakeDownJulienBlanc) raised awareness about his aggressive, offensive, and misogynistic tactics.

Other figures who have been denied entry to the UK include controversial anti-semitic French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, anti-Islam American bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, and far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders. 

As for the US, prominent figures denied visas or entry to the US include Boy George, after being charged with false imprisonment in the UK, singer Cat Stevens, whose plane was diverted to Maine and he was denied entry on "'national security grounds,'" and, until recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose visa had been denied after allegations that he stood by or even encouraged religious riots in which over 1000 people, mostly Muslim, were killed. Mr. Modi denied and was eventually cleared of these charges, and now he's up for TIME's Person of the Year, which is unlikely to happen for Mr. Blanc.

Scottish Independence and Immigration

In Scotland's independence referendum this Thursday, a vote yes to secede from the United Kingdom will raise serious questions about Scottish currency, finance, where to base Britain’s fleet of nuclear submarines, the status of Scottish members of UK parliament, BBC television availability (not to mention UK flag design and what to call the rest of Britain) as well as, of course, immigration. 

The Scottish Government says that their "differing demographic and migration needs mean that the current UK immigration system has not supported Scotland’s migration priorities." If independent, the government would be enabled to "develop and operate a controlled, transparent and efficient immigration system that best meets Scotland’s needs and supports our future growth." Two initial issues the Scottish Government would address: a post-study work visa and lowering the current financial maintenance thresholds.

In general, what a yes vote for independence would mean:

  • The Scottish borders would remain open to all EU nationals, as it would be an EU member.
  • A Scottish Asylum Agency would be established to oversee applications.
  • Dungavel Detention Centre in Lanarkshire would be closed and dawn raids would be ended.
  • British citizens resident in Scotland would be Scottish citizens.
  • Citizenship by descent would be available to those whose parent or grandparent qualifies for Scottish citizenship.
  • Dual citizenship with the UK would be permitted.
  • UK passports would be recognised until...expiry.

Yes Scotland points out that all proposed changes would ultimately depend on who was elected in the Scottish Government.

The vote looks to be very close, and the immigrant vote in Scotland may turn out to be crucial. As both the pro-independence and pro-unity supporters campaign hard in these last days, the Queen said Sunday that voters should "'think very carefully about the future.'" James McAvoy doesn't want to divulge which way he will vote because of "career preservation." Sean Connery is for independence since a yes vote will allow "Scotland to develop and enrich its culture" and "compete with the best." Irish-American Stephen Colbert also says yes. Which way will the vote go? Perhaps this cloud has an answer.

UPDATE: The cloud was wrong. Scotland voted no on independence from the United Kingdom.

The Guardian: "Should Britain fear a surge of east European migrants?"

As the debate in the US over immigration reform continues into the new year, the UK is also facing their own immigration issues. It's over opening up the UK labor market to Romanian and Bulgarians, effective January 1, when labor restrictions for these Eastern European nationals expire. The Guardian has a debate over the issue, and a recent poll shows that 72% of British people aged 35-44 support rights of these Eastern European workers to come to live and work in the UK. The article notes that in  "spite of a surge of anti-immigrant rhetoric from leading politicians, British people are happy to accept migrants from the east of Europe who learn English, get a job, pay taxes and become part of their local community."

Despite the January 1 date, The Guardian reports that a "nervous coalition government has rushed out measures making new arrivals wait longer before they can claim benefits – and, more controversially, is calling for a wider debate on the principle of free movement within the European Union and perhaps even an EU migration cap." Aboard the first flight of the new year from Romania was Romanian Victor Spiersau, who said: "'I don't come to rob your country. I come to work and go home.'"