IRR News
guardian
Asda and Unite to tackle migrant discrimination
The supermarket group Asda has announced that it has reached agreement with the union Unite to tackle discrimination against migrant workers in its UK meat and poultry factories.
11 March 2010 (external article)
bbc news Tougher rules for student visas
The home secretary has announced that tougher student visa rules are to be brought in. Applicants will need to speak English to near-GCSE level and those on short courses will not be able to bring dependants into the UK.
9 February 2010 (external article)
bbc news UK suspends South Asian student visas
The UK Border Agency has temporarily suspended student visa applications from northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh after a jump in application numbers.
3 February 2010 (external article)
guardian Massive increase in immigration fees
The Home Office has announced a massive increase in immigration fees for visas which will see a doubling of costs for migrants who are applying to bring elderly parents from abroad to live with them and a separate 10 per cent charge for every child.
21 January 2010 (external article)
register Immigration spy centre hit by staff delays
The opening of the Manchester-based operations centre at the heart of a new £1.2bn computer system - planned to monitor every person who enters or leaves the UK - has been delayed by outstanding staff training requirements.
10 December 2009 (external article)
zdnet uk Fingerprint checks to begin at UK border controls
The UK Border Agency has announced that all foreign nationals arriving in the UK from 30 November 2009 will have their fingerprints scanned.
30 November 2009 (external article)
guardian Visa snarl-up leaves thousands barred from UK
A backlog of 14,000 visa applications in Pakistan has caused havoc among students due to start courses in the UK, with students complaining of lengthy delays or unfair refusals by the UK Border Agency.
8 October 2009 (external article)
review
Destitution shame
A report from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) examines the human misery caused by destitution.
1 October 2009 (737 words)
guardian Academic says his wrongful arrest was racist
The government is being sued by Jean-Pierre Djimbonge, a Congolese university lecturer wrongfully arrested during a UK holiday and then transferred and detained in five immigration removal centres within a fortnight, spanning the UK.
29 September 2009 (external article)
guardian Immigration roadshows give demos in bizarre PR blitz
A series of UK Border Agency roadshows at country fairs around southern England have seen children fingerprinted, pensioners handcuffed and families locked into immigration service 'cell vans'.
28 September 2009 (external article)
bbc news UK advised to accept Calais migrants
A UN official has told the UK to prepare to accept some migrants from camps around Calais, after the French government announced a decision to shut them down.
18 September 2009 (external article)
comment
Subject to British values
By Frances Webber
New nationality legislation will create a class of subjects not citizens.
10 September 2009 (807 words)
WorldBridge - the UK's new drawbridge?
When Neil Clarke of UNITED[1] organised a conference in Sheffield, he stumbled across a new series of obstacles for those seeking visas for the UK.
23 July 2009 (866 words)
cambridge news Tenants' immigration status to be checked
An immigration crackdown on landlords in Cambridge, who could be fined up to £5,000 or face six months in jail if they fail to produce tenancy records for the past year, including identity documents and forwarding addresses, has been criticised.
13 July 2009 (external article)
The ordeal of Kessie Moyo
The refusal of a visa to attend the inquest of her son's death added to the grief and distress of a bereaved mother.
9 July 2009 (593 words)
guardian Union takes migrant worker fight to Tesco AGM
Tesco will face accusations at its AGM from Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, that it allows the exploitation of foreign agency workers in its UK meat and poultry supply chains.
2 July 2009 (external article)
comment
Shockwaves: Romanians in Belfast
By Anna Morvern
The recent racist attacks against migrant workers have turned my stomach. But two things have shocked me more than the attacks themselves.
25 June 2009 (1219 words)
review
Cancelled!
The introduction of the points-based system, together with the habitual contempt for foreigners shown by immigration staff, is turning the UK into a pariah destination for artists and creative workers, according to an important new report.
25 June 2009 (608 words)
bbc news College students face removal
A test case before an immigration tribunal could have repercussions for thousands of foreign students who attended a college in east London and could be forced to leave the UK if it is found that their diplomas were fraudulently obtained.
24 June 2009 (external article)
SOAS occupied after cleaners detained and forcibly removed
Students have taken action after nine cleaners, who campaigned for a 'living wage' whilst working at a top London university, were detained in a dawn raid by immigration officers dressed in full riot gear.
18 June 2009 (572 words)
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