Labour can overcome its immigration problem.
| Author | Brooks, Thom |
| Position | Policy Development |
Immigration is the top issue of public concern--and Labour must win back confidence if it is to form the next government. The UK immigration system is flawed, but has significant strengths--most of which were introduced by Labour governments. Labour must build on this heritage to develop a socialist immigration policy. To do so, we must discuss immigration and citizenship together.
Immigration is rising--and not least as the public's number one concern. This did not happen overnight. Political leadership has been in short supply. Ministers would rather announce a gimmick in reaction to the latest headlines than defend a coherent vision. Instead of being offered a compelling policy, voters are handed a ragged patchwork quilt. A collection of announcements is stitched together ad hoc, too quickly and often too carelessly, creating a garment that no one is satisfied with. It's about time this was shown for what it is.
As the top issue of public concern, most voters believe the system is not working properly and needs fixing. It is easy to see why. Immigration rules have exploded in size, amounting to over two thousand pages. (1) Much of this is found hidden in secondary legislation that can be as arcane as it is hidden. This does little for building public confidence. When then immigration minister Mark Harper was found to have employed a migrant in Britain illegally (leading to his resignation in 2014) it raises serious questions about how well the rest of us can apply rules that the minister responsible does not know how to apply himself.
Immigration rules have grown not only in their number, but also their complexity. Surprisingly few know enough about the different regulations to see the forest for the trees. Those who specialise in tier I entrepreneurial visas know little about student visas; those handling student visas in turn do not handle work visas--and asylum cases are different yet again. This is not helped by the fact that immigration regulations are rarely a part of the curriculum for even most undergraduate law students.
These rules have grown so quickly--sometimes changing daily--that many immigration lawyers and officials can't keep up. Even if we had it right (and we don't), this achievement would count for little if the rules are unclear and unknown. And this is the sad predicament we find ourselves in now, as ministers, officials and lawyers stumble across the constantly shifting sands of immigration rules. If they are confused, no wonder the public lacks confidence.
Love and marriage
In writing Becoming British, I interviewed people from across Britain to tell stories that needed to be heard. Jasmine and Martin married and the birth of the first of their two children followed a short time later. (2) Their problems began when they decided to move to the UK. Martin was from the south-east of England while Jasmine was Indonesian and they lived in Jakarta. They wanted a change because, as Jasmine told me, 'it would be good for the children to be in the UK for their education'. Yet this was no slow boat to Kent, but instead, in her words, 'the start of a very long nightmare'.
Jasmine and Martin took advice from the British consulate on their move. As a married couple, they were told they could give up their work in Jakarta with easy entry back in Britain. Nothing could be further from the truth. At London Heathrow airport, they did not get the reception from border agents that they had been promised by the British consulate. Without a job on arrival to sponsor his family's residence in the UK, their new life in Britain could only be temporary--and his wife was granted a visitor's visa for a few months before returning to Indonesia alone.
Martin then found a job in Saudi Arabia earning enough in salary to unite his family in England at the difficult cost of his having to move away. When his wife returned, they learned that had been instructed wrongly a second time as Martin's salary had to be earned in Britain, not abroad, to permit him to sponsor his family--despite his earning enough to do so.
After almost twenty-five years of marriage, Martin and Jasmine are still together--this was no sham marriage. But now with their children grown and Jasmine on yet another visitor's visa they 'don't feel the same any more' about living in Britain. Who can blame them? They are two people trying to play by rules that can make little sense and...
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