Immigrants in the UK demand
fair treatment from the Home Office! Since 2006, Immigrants in the UK
have been forced to pay for the overall immigration services of the Home
Office in the form of dual taxation rather than just paying for their
application processing fee alone.
By more than doubling the
application fees for its monopoly services, the UK Border Agency (UKBA)
is behaving like a profit-making organisation and milking the
immigrants’ cash-strapped finances to fund its other services.
The Home Office is
presently conducting a charging consultation to further increase the
existing unwarranted high fees.1
HSMP Forum in its submission to the UKBA regarding the
charging consultation pointed out that
the fees charged
for issuing entry clearance, visa extension and settlement have
increased by more than 100% since April
2007.
Amit Kapadia, executive director of the HSMP
Forum and Association of Immigrants said: “We
are very concerned over this unfair treatment, it is discriminatory and
unethical. Immigrants already contribute to the UK economy by paying
their taxes and it is deplorable to expect them to pay more than their
share of the burden by paying for government’s or Home Office’s other
services. It is a form of double taxation.”
He also said the excess
application fees charged to the immigrants and their families can amount
from 50% to 100% of their monthly salaries, which adversely affects
their finances. “It is unethical for a
government agency to behave like a profit-making organisation
especially with an appalling standard of service over long waiting times
over the phone and delays in application consideration.” It is ironic
that the Home Office in its Charging Consultation document stated that
the “UK Border Agency is providing world class services”.
The document ‘Charging for
immigration and visa applications – Impact assessment’ suggests that the
Government’s policy objective is to charge fees that recover
approximately 30% of UK Border Agency’s overall costs. ‘The key costs
and benefits estimate given in the impact assessment suggests that the
expected income to be raised from applicants’ fees would be £48 million
by 2010/11 and £113 million per year thereafter, while the actual
processing costs are estimated to be £16 million in 2010/11 and £38
million per year thereafter’2.
This clearly suggests a profit-centred approach.
Mr Kapadia said the Home
Office’s principle that those who benefit more must proportionately pay
more has been wrongly applied to immigrants. “The benefits supposedly
claimed by immigrants are actually a fulfilment of the Home Office’s
commitment towards an existing policy.
Therefore, suggesting that an extension, settlement or
citizenship is a benefit to the immigrant raises a charitable undertone
and is inappropriate, short-sighted and undervalues the immigrant’s
contribution towards the UK economy.”
He said immigrants under
visa rules do not receive any benefits and that by “trying to introduce
an additional charge for what immigrants rightfully deserve would be
undignified and would smack of British Nationality being on sale.”
UK Border Agency also intends to introduce separate application
fees for dependents. Mr Kapadia said: “The additional charge for
dependants would be unfair since the dependent’s application won’t be
judged independently from the main applicant as it would rely and be
connected with the main applicant. It is misleading for UK Border Agency
to claim that it is concerned with ‘greater alignment between overseas
and in-country pricing structure’ ”. He said greater alignment would
have been possible by ensuring that it is favourable for the applicant.
Notes to the Editor
1)
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/221878/charging09/
2)
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/221878/charging09/ia-charging?view=Binary
"HSMP Forum" is a
not-for-profit organisation.
HSMP Forum
took its name from the UK's
Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
which was introduced in 2002. It represents migrants belonging to all
immigration
categories and campaigns on various immigration issues, it represents
people of all nationalities and cultures. It is an immigrant support
organisation and campaigns for immigrants cause.
The organisation's aim is to support and
assist migrants under the world-renowned British principles of fair
play, equality and justice and believes in challenging any unfair
policies, which undermines migrants’ interests. “Association
of Immigrants” is a not-for-profit organisation launched by
the HSMP Forum.
Media contact: Amit Kapadia
Email:
info@hsmpforum.org
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