Tag: migration

Launching this week: Tape Letters Scotland

Beginning 3 October, Tape Letters Scotland, is set to launch a series of new audio-visual exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, shining a light on the use of audio cassette as a mode of long-distance communication by the Pakistani diaspora in Scotland between 1960–1980.

Drawing directly from both first-hand interviews carried out by the project team and the informal, intimate conversations recorded on cassettes themselves, the exhibitions showcase the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani communities, exploring the topics of migration, identity, communication and language. 

A pre-cursor to the modern-day voice-note, sending physical audio cassette recordings became popular amongst British-Pakistani communities in the 1960s, as a means of communicating with friends and relatives in Pakistan. The format offered a cheaper alternative to international telephone calls, whilst also providing a more accessible option for those unable to read or write letters.

However, the practice has since remained largely unknown to many, even within British-Pakistani communities, with many original tapes lost or later recorded over.  

First launched in 2018, Tape Letters is a pioneering project by Modus Arts, which aims to unearth, archive, and represent a portrait of this method of communication for communities during this period. A time when the telephone was communal, the tapes left room for intimacy in messages to loved ones.

The exhibition also highlights the prominence of liberated female voices. It enabled the speaker to convey humour or capture disbelief, sing songs or speak poems aloud.

Glasgow resident Assia Ali held these ‘prized possessions’ close as did Izaz Ur Rahman from Edinburgh who treasured the immediacy of this form of communication as it felt like his family were there in the room with him. Jamila Bibi exclaimed she had a reply from her parents in as little as a week in some cases. 

The project began with Modus Arts Director, Wajid Yaseen, discovering his own family’s history of sending personalised cassette tapes to relatives.

It uncovered a wide-spread history of the practice across British-Pakistani families in England and more recently Scotland. 

This Autumn, the Scotland-wide edition of the project, Tape Letters Scotland, which launched in 2022, is hosting a series of three exhibitions at the Museum of Edinburgh, Tramway, Glasgow, and Dundee Central Library.

The cumulation of two years of work, the exhibitions will showcase the stories and experiences from 20 cassette tapes, and 80 oral histories, gathered from individuals and families living across Scotland’s central belt.  

On 8 October, the National Library of Scotland will host a special public talk featuring Wajid Yaseen and Tape Letters Scotland Project Coordinator, Syma Ahmed, where audiences will be invited to hear first-hand from the project team about their work, and the importance of archiving and preserving migrant stories for present and future generations.

Serving to both broaden access to the project, and preserve these unique historical accounts, Tape Letters Scotland is set to launch a WebXR-based digital exhibition and specialised App this October, followed by a Podcast series later this year.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker said: “How fortunate we are to have Tape Letters at Museum of Edinburgh this winter.

“We live in such modern times, where everyone is an instant call away no matter where they are in the world. You can only imagine the excitement felt when a tape would arrive from family members, loved ones and friends and their voice and stories would be heard through the speakers.

“Tape Letters is a touching exhibition that can be appreciated by all members of our diverse community. I encourage everyone to take the time to visit, listen and reflect.”
 
Wajid Yaseen, Director of Modus Arts, said: “The Tape Letters project has turned out to be far more fruitful than I could have envisaged, and analysing the archive has felt akin to undertaking a sort of ‘sonic archaeology’ – a deep dive into a wide range of fields and themes, including memory studies, linguistics, migration, discrimination, communication technologies, class and socio-economic dynamics, and many others.

“Although it has become a surprisingly complex social history project, it primarily demonstrates the deep and inherent need for people to communicate with each other in whatever way they can, wherever they’re originally from or wherever they find themselves in the world.”  

Faria Khan, from Glasgow, who contributed to the archive, said: “Dad used to turn the cassette player on and test it and, you know, he’d bang on the mic saying “testing, testing”.

“It was just such an exciting thing preparing to record something! Like, what are we doing here? He’d then explain to us that it was a message for the family back home in Pakistan.” 

Aqsa Mohammed, from Glasgow, also part of the exhibition, said: “My mum would listen to the tapes and tears would fall – she was always crying.

“Even when recording she would be crying. I’d get excited though. “Haan tape aayi!” [Alright! a tape has arrived!] It felt like a different feeling for us – a very emotional time. Emotional for her. Excitement for us.”

Tape Letters Scotland Exhibition

Tape Letters is a social history project which shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape, as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960-1980. 

Drawing directly both from first-hand interviews and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassettes themselves, this exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani community. It explores topics of migration, identity, communication and language.

Tramway, Glasgow

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Glasgow’s Pakistani community
12th Oct 2024 – 31st Jan 2025

For more information visit https://www.tramway.org/event/eba60b68-d275-467d-b72b-b1e30089d53d#:~:text=Tape%20Letters%20Scotland%20is%20a,UK%20between%201960%20and%201980 
 

Museum of Edinburgh

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community
Thu 3 Oct 2024 to Sun 23 Feb 2025

For more information visit https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/tape-letters 

Dundee Central Library

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani community
22 Oct 2024 – 31 Dec 2024

For more information visit https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/events/event/33319 

Cleverley unveils plan to cut migration

UK Government to introduce a plan to deliver the ‘biggest ever cut in net migration and curb abuse of the immigration system’

The Home Secretary has announced a plan to slash migration levels and curb abuse of the immigration system, delivering the biggest ever reduction in net migration. Together, this package will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now not be able to come.

The package of measures will end the high numbers of dependants coming to the UK, increase the minimum salaries that overseas workers and British or settled people sponsoring family members must earn, and tackle exploitation across the immigration system.  

The government will tighten the Health and Care visa, which has seen a significant number of visas granted to care workers and their dependants, by preventing overseas care workers from bringing their dependants to the UK.

In addition, care providers in England will now only be able to sponsor migrant workers if they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission.  

In the year ending September 2023, 101,000 Health and Care visas were issued to care workers and senior care workers, with an estimated 120,000 visas granted to associated dependants, the majority of whom we estimate don’t work, but still make use of public services.

From next spring, the government will increase the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% from its current position of £26,200 to £38,700, encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, whilst bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs.

The government will also increase the minimum income required for British citizens and those settled in the UK who want their family members to join them. Altogether this reinforces that all those who want to work and live here must be able to support themselves, are contributing to the economy, and are not burdening the state.

To crackdown on cut-price labour from overseas, the government will end the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations and replace the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, which will retain a general threshold discount. The Migration Advisory Committee will review the new list against the increased salary thresholds in order to reduce the number of occupations on the list.

The Migration Advisory Committee will be asked to review the Graduate visa route to ensure it works in the best interests of the UK and to ensure steps are being taken to prevent abuse.

This new package of measures builds on the tough action already taken to tackle the substantial rise in students bringing dependants to the UK, which will come into force in the new year.

We expect this change will have a tangible impact on net migration, with around 153,000 visas granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023. This, along with the changes announced today, will further protect the integrity and quality of higher education in the UK. 

The measures announced today are possible because the government is prioritising growing our domestic workforce through our Back to Work Plan – a package of employment focused support that will help people stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work – as part of the Autumn Statement.

The new Back to Work Plan builds on the ambitious £7bn employment package from the Spring Budget, to help up to 1,100,000 people with long-term health conditions, disabilities or long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “It is clear that net migration remains far too high. By leaving the European Union we gained control over who can come to the UK, but far more must be done to bring those numbers down so British workers are not undercut and our public services put under less strain.

“My plan will deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration and will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not have been able to do so. I am taking decisive action to halt the drastic rise in our work visa routes and crack down on those who seek to take advantage of our hospitality.”

In addition to measures to reduce migration, the UK government will make sure that migrants coming to the UK make a fair financial contribution so that public services, including the NHS, are not taken advantage of by increasing the annual Immigration Health Surcharge from £624 to £1,035. 

Workers and their dependants account for some of the highest proportion of visas being issued, with Skilled Worker and Health and Care worker visas accounting for 63% of work grants, and the proportion of work-related visas being granted to dependants rising to 43% in the year ending September 2023.  

The addition of carers in the UK’s immigration system was a temporary measure to fill labour shortages by responding to an urgent need into the adult social care sector following the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday’s measures will ensure we continue to protect our NHS and social care systems while addressing significant concerns that have emerged since the introduction of the visa about high levels of non-compliance, worker exploitation and abuse within the adult social care sector, particularly for overseas workers employed within care occupations.

Earlier this year, the UK government announced a package of measures to cut the number of student visas being issued. This included removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate research courses and removing the ability for international students to switch onto work routes before their studies are completed. This will come into force for courses starting in January 2024.

Those coming on the Health and Care visa route will be exempted from the increase to the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas, so ‘we can continue to bring the healthcare workers that our care sector and NHS need, and we will exempt those on national pay scales, for example teachers’.

MAN ON A MISSION: Cleverley’s off to Rwanda today …

Migration in an independent Scotland

Supporting people who want to live and work in Scotland

Scotland would benefit from the creation of a migration system that could boost the economy and better meet the country’s needs according to a new paper on independence published by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

‘Migration to Scotland after independence’, the sixth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, sets out the Scottish Government’s proposals for how migration and asylum could work in an independent Scotland.

The proposals include new visa routes to make it easier for people to live, work, study and invest in Scotland, to support population growth in rural and island areas and key economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

Asylum and migration policy would also be overhauled from the current UK system, with people seeking asylum given the right to work and access employability services, to help integration and address key labour market shortages.

The paper also includes details on a simplified immigration system with lower fees and new public agencies to manage how migration and citizenship systems would operate, in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to re-join the EU as an independent nation.

Ms Somerville said: “Our future success as a country is dependent above all else on the people who live here, and we value all those who have chosen to settle in Scotland for their invaluable contribution to our society and economy. 

“This paper published today sets out how, with independence, we could help ensure that success with a migration system specifically tailored to Scotland’s needs, to make it easier for more people to settle and integrate here. 

“Scotland’s population is set to fall, unlike other UK nations, under current constitutional arrangements. This means fewer people working, paying taxes and contributing to public services like the NHS. Yet Scotland is subject to the UK Government’s hostile approach to immigration which is damaging our economy.

“Control of our own migration policy would enable us to replace that approach with a system that has dignity, fairness and respect at its core, recognising above all that this is about individuals and their families.

“It is these values that will determine an independent Scotland’s approach to migration and asylum policy – to benefit our country and the people who would call it home.”

Building a New Scotland: Migration to Scotland after independence

Stay in Scotland: Continued funding announced on Europe Day

More EU citizens will be supported to remain in Scotland, thanks to renewed funding for the Stay in Scotland campaign.

In partnership with the Citizens’ Rights Project, COSLA and Settled – an independent charity helping EU citizens to stay in the UK – over £200,000 will help vulnerable people apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Migration Minister Emma Roddick said: “On Europe Day, Scotland can proudly celebrate the contribution EU citizens make to our society, culture and economy.

“As we continue to build the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, additional funding for the Stay in Scotland campaign will help ensure EU citizens, particularly those who need assistance with complex applications, get the support they need to gain settled status.

“We’re also urging the Home Office to immediately upgrade everyone from pre-settled to settled status. This would help remove the unnecessary stress and anxiety of being forced to re-apply to the EUSS.”

“Scotland is stronger for its multi-culturalism and our message to EU citizens this Europe Day is clear: you are, and always will be, welcome in Scotland.”

Following the Ministerial Statement on Europe Day 2023 in the Scottish Parliament , Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “As Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Culture, Europe, and International Development, it was important for me to question the Scottish Government on its commitment to introducing a replacement Erasmus + programme on this, Europe Day 2023. 

“After Brexit, the SNP Scottish Government seem determined to remain aligned with the EU, yet in terms of education they have made no progress on a Scottish Education Exchange Programme. 

“Unlike the Labour Welsh Government, the SNP Scottish Government are letting down young people by not providing an appropriate replacement for the European Erasmus+ scheme.  

“The successful Welsh Taith scheme has provided 5,000 exchange opportunities since September 2022.

“When will the Scottish Government stop hiding behind arguments for independence and act now to truly align Scottish priorities with EU practices? 

“The Cabinet Secretary’sresponse to my question was inadequate. 

“Scottish Labour wants to see the SNP make true on its commitment to young people and not to abandon them. 

“Actions speak louder than headlines. 

“Now is the time for the Scottish Government to realign Scottish priorities.”

European Movement in Scotland honours Lord Provost of Glasgow

The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), the nation’s premier pro-EU campaigning body, is delighted to announce the award of honorary membership to the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren. 

Accepting the award at a Europe Day celebration in the City Chambers the Lord Provost said: “I am delighted to accept Honorary Membership of the European Movement in Scotland. Glasgow is a city proud to have forged strong bonds, alliances and friendships with our European neighbours. We’re twinned with Marseilles, Nuremberg, Turin and with many more links across Europe through our networks and partnership activity.

Today we mark Europe Day, and all it represents: friendship, unity, tolerance, co-operation and peace. All of which Glasgow endorses and will always hold dear. Whilst no longer part of the European Union, we remain faithful and committed friends to our European neighbours.”

Europe Day, commemorated annually on May 9 since 1950, symbolises the EU’s commitment to peace, solidarity, shared values and working together across borders to achieve common goals.

EMiS actively works towards advancing the principles of European integration, advocating for stronger ties between Scotland and the broader European community. Scotland remains a proud European nation and will one day return to the EU, in its own right or as part of the UK.

Glasgow’s recognition as European City of Sport for 2023 has further emphasised the city’s vibrant sporting culture and passion for physical well-being as well as its ability to bring people together through the power of sports.

David Clarke, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to award honorary membership to the Lord Provost of Glasgow, a city that embraces the spirit of Europe. Glasgow’s unwavering commitment to openness, cultural diversity, and its vibrant sporting scene make it an ideal symbol of our shared European values.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Lord Provost and express our sincere gratitude for Glasgow’s ongoing support and involvement in Europe.”

To learn more about the European Movement in Scotland and to join, please visit www.europeanmovement.co.uk/scotland.

UK and Rwanda strengthen agreement to deal with global migration issues

The Home Secretary has hailed the strengthening of the partnership with Rwanda as both countries vow to step up efforts in dealing with global migration challenges.

Under the innovative Migration and Economic Development Partnership, people who make dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK, such as by small boat, will be relocated to Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.

Suella Braverman travelled to Kigali yesterday for official engagements with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Dr Vincent Biruta, this weekend (March 18 and 19).

The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta reiterated their desire to deliver the partnership, amid a global migration crisis that has seen 100 million people displaced and people smugglers cashing in on human misery.

They outlined the global leaders’ commitment to working on bold and innovative migration policies to redress the balance between legal and uncontrolled migration. The government of Rwanda reiterated the country’s readiness to receive thousands of individuals, process their claims and house them before they are moved to longer-term accommodation, with necessary support services including health and education provisions.

The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta also signed an update to the memorandum of understanding, expanding the partnership further to all categories of people who pass through safe countries and make illegal and dangerous journeys to the UK.

This will have the added benefit of preparing the UK to deliver on the measures proposed in the Illegal Migration Bill, as it will mean that anyone who comes to the UK illegally – who cannot be returned to their home country – will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda.

The new bill, which was introduced to Parliament last week, will see people who come to the UK illegally face detention and be returned to their home country, or a safe third country such as Rwanda.

The scheme is uncapped and the government of Rwanda have confirmed they are able to take thousands of people eligible for relocation.

In December, the UK government secured an important victory in the High Court on the legality of the partnership and will continue to defend the policy against ongoing legal challenge, while working with Rwanda to ensure flights can operate as soon as there are no legal barriers.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “We cannot continue to see people risking their lives crossing the Channel, which is why I am pleased to strengthen our agreement even further with the government of Rwanda so we can address the global migration crisis head on.

“The Migration and Economic Development Partnership is key to breaking the business model of people smugglers while ensuring those who genuinely need protection can be helped to rebuild their lives.

“Rwanda is a progressive, rapidly growing economy at the forefront of innovation – I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing first-hand the rich opportunities this country can provide to relocated people through our partnership.”

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta said: “If we are to successfully tackle the global migration crisis, we need innovative, urgent action.

“This Partnership addresses the opportunity gap at the heart of the migration crisis, by investing in Rwanda’s capability to continue offering migrants the opportunity to build new lives in a safe, secure place, through accommodation, education, and vocational training.

“For these reasons, we are pleased to once again renew our commitment to our ground-breaking Partnership with the UK, which shares our determination to solve this crisis.”

On the visit, the Home Secretary will spend time meeting refugees, who have been supported by the government of Rwanda to rebuild their lives. She will also see new housing developments, which will be used to relocate people.

She also visited new modern, long-term accommodation that will support those who are relocated to settle in Rwanda.

The Home Secretary also met with investment start-ups and entrepreneurs to discuss the range of business and employment opportunities available to people in Rwanda.

The partnership with Rwanda is just one strand of the work the government is doing to tackle illegal migration. Last week the Prime Minister agreed a package with France which will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches.

Prime Minister agrees unprecedented measures to tackle illegal migration alongside France

Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration

  • Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration.
  • The unparalleled multi-year agreement delivers on the PM’s priority to stop small boats and builds on joint measures taken with France in 2022 which increased patrols by 40%.
  • Enhanced cooperation aims to increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year.

Hundreds of extra French law enforcement officers will use enhanced technology and intelligence insight to prevent illegal Channel crossings under a new agreement struck by the Prime Minister and President Macron in Paris yesterday.

For the first time, the UK will help fund a detention centre in France to enhance the country’s ability to cope with the level of people being trafficked across the Channel. This new centre will support French efforts to increase detention capacity, allowing more migrants who might otherwise travel by dangerous and illegal routes to the UK to be removed from the French coast.

Building on our existing partnership, which saw twice as many illegal crossings stopped in 2022 than 2021, today’s agreement will also more than double the number of personnel deployed in northern France to tackle small boats, with over half of these in place by the end of the year. The UK will contribute funding towards this.

Efforts will be bolstered by a new, highly trained, permanent French mobile policing unit dedicated to tackling small boats. Additional drones, aircraft and other technologies like surveillance will also be deployed, as the UK and France step up intelligence sharing to clamp down on people trafficking routes.

These French efforts will be overseen by a new 24/7 zonal coordination centre, with permanent UK liaison officers. The coordination centre will bring all relevant French law enforcement partners together for the first time to coordinate the response to an alarming trend which has seen a 50% rise in illegal migration across Europe in the last year. The UK has our own Small Boats Operations Command which has ensured that 99% of those who enter British waters are intercepted.

This enhanced cooperation aims to increase the increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year, supporting our long-term, shared goal of completely stopping this illegal migration route.

The Prime Minister said: “I have made it one of my five priorities to stop the boats. We are delivering on that priority to stop people coming to the UK illegally.

“Last year I agreed the largest ever small boats deal with France to increase UK-funded patrols by 40 per cent. This week I announced measures to ensure nobody who enters the UK illegally can remain here.

“We don’t need to manage this problem, we need to break it. And today, we have gone further than ever before to put an end to this disgusting trade in human life. Working together, the UK and France will ensure that nobody can exploit our systems with impunity.”

In addition to the extra steps taken to patrol the beaches in the north of France, today’s agreement will also see further UK and French cooperation upstream to stop illegal migration at source. This includes further coordination between the National Crime Agency and its French counterpart via officers based in countries along the routes favoured by people traffickers.

Alongside last year’s deal with France, the Prime Minister has taken a number of steps to curb illegal migration since taking office. This includes re-establishing the Calais Group of Northern European nations to disrupt traffickers and setting a long-term ambition for a UK-EU wide agreement on returns – an ambition France has confirmed today that they share.

This week the UK Government has announced a Bill to end illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.

These measures will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.

Illegal migrants will be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.

Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal.

The only challenges that will suspend removal will be where someone claims that their removal to a safe third country would lead to a real risk of serious and irreversible harm, or on the basis that they do not fall within the cohort of persons liable to removal under the Bill. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.

By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.

Sunak: “Enough Is Enough”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a statement to the House of Commons on illegal migration yesterday:

Mr Speaker, before I start, I know the whole House will join me in expressing our sympathies to the families of those who lost their children so tragically in Solihull.

With permission, I’d like to make a statement on illegal migration.

I hope the whole house would agree… there is a complex moral dimension to illegal migration.

The balancing of our duty to support people in dire need… with the responsibility to have genuine control of our borders… understandably provokes strong feelings. And so… it is my view… that the basis for any solution shouldn’t just be ‘what works’… but what is right.

The simplest moral framing for this issue… one I believe members on all sides of this House believe in… is fairness…

Mr Speaker… It is unfair that people come here illegally.

It is unfair on those with a genuine case for asylum…

…when our capacity to help is taken up by people coming through, and from, countries that are perfectly safe.

It is unfair on those who come here legally…

…when others come here by cheating the system.

And above all, it is unfair on the British people who play by the rules… …when others come here illegally and benefit from breaking those rules.

So people are right to be angry… Mr Speaker… because they see what I see… which is that this simply isn’t fair…

It is not cruel or unkind to want to break the stranglehold of the criminal gangs who trade in human misery and who exploit our system and laws…

Enough is enough.

As currently constructed the global asylum framework has become obsolete.

Today there are 100 million people displaced globally.

Hostile states are using migration as a weapon on the very borders of Europe.

And as the world becomes more unstable – and the effects of climate change make more places uninhabitable – the numbers displaced will only grow.

We have a proud history of providing sanctuary to those most in need.

Britain helped craft the 1951 Refugee Convention to protect those fleeing persecution.

The Rt Hon Member for Maidenhead passed the world’s first Modern Slavery Act in 2015.

And in the last year we have opened our hearts and homes to people from Hong Kong Afghanistan and Ukraine

Thousands of families will be setting extra places around the Christmas table this year.

No-one, no-one can doubt our generosity of spirit.

But today far too many of the beneficiaries of that generosity are not those directly fleeing war zones or at risk of persecution but people crossing the channel in small boats.

Many originate from fundamentally safe countries.

All travel through safe countries.

Their journeys are not ad hoc… but coordinated by ruthless, organised criminals.

And every single journey risks the lives of women, children – and we should be honest, mostly men, at sea.

Mr Speaker… This is not what previous generations intended when they drafted our humanitarian laws.

Nor is it the purpose of the numerous international treaties to which the UK is a signatory.

And unless we act now and decisively, this will only get worse.

Already in just seven weeks since I became Prime Minister, we have delivered the largest ever small boats deal with France…

…with significantly more boots on the ground patrolling their beaches.

For the first-time, UK and French officers are embedded in respective operations in Dover and Northern France.

We’ve re-established the Calais Group of Northern European nations – to disrupt traffickers all along the migration route.

And last week this group set a long-term ambition for a UK-EU wide agreement on migration.

Of course, this is not a panacea, and we need to go much further.

Over the last month the Home Secretary and I have studied every aspect of this issue in detail, and we can now set out five new steps today.

First, our policing of the channel has been too fragmented, with different people, doing different things, being pulled in different directions.

So we will establish a new, permanent, unified Small Boats Operational Command.

This will bring together our military, our civilian capabilities, and the National Crime Agency.

It will coordinate our intelligence, interception, processing, and enforcement.

And use all available technology, including drones for reconnaissance and surveillance, to pick people up and identify and then prosecute more gang-led boat pilots.

We’re adding more than 700 new staff and also doubling the funding given to the NCA for tackling organised immigration crime in Europe.

Second, these extra resources will free up immigration officers to go back to enforcement which, will in turn, allow us to increase raids on illegal working by 50%.

And it’s frankly absurd that today illegal migrants can get bank accounts which help them live and work here. So we will re-start data sharing to stop this.

Third, it’s unfair and appalling that we are spending £5.5 million every day on using hotels to house asylum seekers.

We must end this.

So, we will shortly bring forward a range of alternative sites such as disused holiday parks, former student halls, and surplus military sites.

We have already identified locations that could accommodate 10,000 people and are in active discussions to secure these and many more.

Our aim is to add thousands of places through this type of accommodation in the coming months – at half the cost of hotels.

At the same time, as we consulted on over the summer…

…the cheapest and fairest way to solve this problem is for all local authorities to take their fair share of asylum seekers in the private rental sector.

And we will work to achieve this as quickly as possible.

Fourth, Mr Speaker we need to process claims in days or weeks, not months or years.

So we will double the number of asylum caseworkers.

And we are radically re-engineering the end-to-end process…

…with shorter guidance, fewer interviews, less paperwork and introducing specialist case workers by nationality.

We will also remove the gold plating in our modern slavery system, including by reducing the cooling off period from 45 to 30 days – the legal minimum set out in the ECAT Treaty.

As a result of all these changes, we will triple the productivity of our caseworkers…

…and we expect to abolish the backlog of initial asylum decisions by the end of next year.

Fifth, Fifth Mr Speaker and most significantly,

A third of all those arriving in small boats this year – almost 13,000 – are Albanian.

And yet Albania is a safe, prosperous European country.

It is deemed safe for returns by Germany, France, Italy, Sweden.

It is an EU accession country, a NATO ally and a member of the same treaty against trafficking as the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister of Albania has himself said there is no reason why we cannot return Albanian asylum seekers immediately.

Last year Germany, France, Sweden all rejected almost 100% of Albanian asylum claims.

Yet our rejection rate is just 45%.

That must not continue. So today I can announce a new agreement with Albania – and a new approach.

First, we will embed Border Force officers in Tirana airport for the first time ever…

…helping to disrupt organised crime and stop people coming here illegally.

Second, we will issue new guidance for our case workers and make it crystal clear that Albania is a safe country.

Third, one of the reasons we struggle to remove people is because they unfairly exploit our modern slavery system.

So we will significantly raise the threshold someone has to meet to be considered a modern slave.

For the first time, we will actually require a case worker to have objective evidence of modern slavery rather than just a suspicion.

Fourth, we have sought and received formal assurances from Albania confirming they will protect genuine victims and people at risk of re-trafficking…

…allowing us to detain and return people to Albania with confidence and in line with ECAT.

As a result of these changes, the vast majority of claims from Albanians can simply be declared “clearly unfounded”.

And those individuals can be swiftly returned.

Lastly, we will change how we process Albanian illegal migrants, with a new dedicated unit expediting cases within weeks, staffed by 400 new specialists.

Over the coming months, thousands of Albanians will be returned home.

And we’ll keep going with weekly flights until all the Albanians in our backlog have been removed.

And in addition to all these new steps, Mr Speaker let the House be in no doubt that when legal proceedings conclude on our Migration and Economic Development Partnership…

…we will restart the first flights to Rwanda….

…so those here illegally who cannot be returned to their home country, can build a new life there.

But Mr Speaker, even with the huge progress we will make with the changes I have announced today… there still remains a fundamental question…

How do we solve this problem… once and for all?

It is not just our asylum system that needs fundamental reform.

Our laws need reform too.

We must be able to control our borders to ensure that the only people who come here come through safe and legal routes.

However well intended, our legal frameworks are being manipulated by people who exploit our courts to frustrate their removal for months or years on end.

Mr Speaker, I said enough is enough… and I mean it. And that means I am prepared to do what must be done.

So early next year we will introduce new legislation to make unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally you should not be able to remain here.

Instead, you will be detained and swiftly returned either to your home country or to a safe country where your claim for asylum will be considered.

And you will no longer be able to frustrate removal attempts with late or spurious claims or appeals.

And once removed you should have no right to re-entry, settlement, or citizenship.

And furthermore, if our reforms on Albania are challenged in the courts…

…we will also put them on a statutory footing to ensure the UK’s treatment of Albanian arrivals is no different from that of Germany or France.

The only way to come to the UK for asylum will be through safe and legal routes.

And as we get a grip of illegal migration, we will create more of those routes.

We will work with the UNHCR to identify those most in need so the UK remains a safe haven for the most vulnerable.

And we will introduce an annual quota on numbers set by Parliament…

…in consultation with Local Authorities to determine our capacity…

…and amendable in the face of humanitarian emergencies.

Mr Speaker, that is the fair way to address this global challenge.

Tackling this problem will not be quick. It will not be easy.

But it is the right thing to do.

Because we cannot persist with a system that was designed for a different era.

We have to stop the boats.

And this government will do what must be done.

Mr Speaker we – will be tough but fair.

And where we lead, others will follow.

And I commend this Statement to the House.

Ben Macpherson: recruitment of key workers under threat

Shortages of skilled workers in Scotland across key sectors of the economy such as health and social care will be made worse after Brexit, Migration Minister Ben Macpherson warned today. Continue reading Ben Macpherson: recruitment of key workers under threat