Migrants to pay extra for visas
Migrants and students from outside the EU are to be charged an extra £50 for UK visas to support communities struggling to cope with migration.
The £70m raised by the scheme, to be announced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, will go towards providing more teachers, police and translators.
Many councils have warned of the strain that new arrivals has put on services. But critics say the cash will not have much effect and also warn that the move could stir anti-immigrant sentiments.
Friction
Ms Blears will unveil details of the plan, which will require migrants and students from outside the EU to pay a levy on top of the basic cost of a visa. She will outline where the money will be allocated on region-by-region basis.
The BBC's political correspondent Carole Walker said ministers made clear over a year ago that immigrants should be expected to contribute towards the cost of public services they use.
In 2007, Ms Blears acknowledged that rising migrant populations had caused friction and tensions in some English towns.
As unemployment rises and the number of job vacancies in the economy falls, there are mounting concerns that migrants could become targets for social unrest.
Local authorities have said they need £250m in additional resources to cope with migrant populations and the challenge of community integration.
Former Labour minister Frank Field, who heads a cross-parliamentary group on immigration, said the new scheme would only scratch the surface of what was required to give councils the support they needed.
And the Institute for Public Policy Research expressed concerns that the proposal could ignite anti-immigrant feelings.
Anger over contracts being awarded to foreign workers sparked a nationwide series of strikes last month.
Social cohesion
The Department of Communities and Local Government has been advising local authorities for several years on managing migration as part of efforts to improve social cohesion.
It has sent specialists to several towns to advise on building relationships between different communities and how best to help newcomers settle in.
Last year ministers introduced a new immigration points system for non-EU applicants - which they said would strictly limit the number of unskilled workers entering the UK.
The Conservatives say this does not go far enough and have called for a cap on immigration from outside the EU, something Labour says would damage the economy.
A House of Lords report last year called for tougher curbs on new entrants, saying there was little evidence that record levels of immigration in recent years had boosted the economy.
Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Migrants to pay extra for visas
Published: 2009/03/19 01:01:31 GMT
© BBC MMIX
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Migrants and students from outside the EU are to be charged an extra £50 for UK visas to support communities struggling to cope with migration.
The £70m raised by the scheme, to be announced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, will go towards providing more teachers, police and translators.
Many councils have warned of the strain that new arrivals has put on services. But critics say the cash will not have much effect and also warn that the move could stir anti-immigrant sentiments.
Friction
Ms Blears will unveil details of the plan, which will require migrants and students from outside the EU to pay a levy on top of the basic cost of a visa. She will outline where the money will be allocated on region-by-region basis.
The BBC's political correspondent Carole Walker said ministers made clear over a year ago that immigrants should be expected to contribute towards the cost of public services they use.
In 2007, Ms Blears acknowledged that rising migrant populations had caused friction and tensions in some English towns.
As unemployment rises and the number of job vacancies in the economy falls, there are mounting concerns that migrants could become targets for social unrest.
Local authorities have said they need £250m in additional resources to cope with migrant populations and the challenge of community integration.
Former Labour minister Frank Field, who heads a cross-parliamentary group on immigration, said the new scheme would only scratch the surface of what was required to give councils the support they needed.
And the Institute for Public Policy Research expressed concerns that the proposal could ignite anti-immigrant feelings.
Anger over contracts being awarded to foreign workers sparked a nationwide series of strikes last month.
Social cohesion
The Department of Communities and Local Government has been advising local authorities for several years on managing migration as part of efforts to improve social cohesion.
It has sent specialists to several towns to advise on building relationships between different communities and how best to help newcomers settle in.
Last year ministers introduced a new immigration points system for non-EU applicants - which they said would strictly limit the number of unskilled workers entering the UK.
The Conservatives say this does not go far enough and have called for a cap on immigration from outside the EU, something Labour says would damage the economy.
A House of Lords report last year called for tougher curbs on new entrants, saying there was little evidence that record levels of immigration in recent years had boosted the economy.
Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Migrants to pay extra for visas
Published: 2009/03/19 01:01:31 GMT
© BBC MMIX
Print Sponsor
