Asked by: George Galloway (Workers Party of Britain - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of workers made unemployed, or displaced, as a result of immigration from countries outside the EU in the last year.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to "research
the labour market, social and public service impacts of non-EEA migration; and
to advise on the use of such evidence in cost-benefit analyses of migration
policy decisions". The MAC's report published in 2012 called ‘Analysis of the
Impact of Migration'
(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/25723
5/analysis-of-the-impacts.pdf), suggested that "between 1995 and 2010 an
additional 100 non-EU migrants were associated with a reduction in employment
of 23 native workers".
Recently, the Government published a report on the ‘Impacts of migration on UK
native employment: An analytical review of the evidence'
(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/28708
6/occ109.pdf). This report is a comprehensive review of the evidence around
the displacement effect of migrants on UK native employment and builds on the
MAC 2012 report.
In addition, a report on the ‘Employment and Occupational skill levels among UK
and foreign nationals'
(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/28250
3/occ108.pdf) finds that over most of the last decade, employment levels in the
UK rose faster among foreign nationals than among UK nationals. However, this
pattern has reversed, and over the last year around 90 per cent of employment
growth was accounted for by UK nationals.
Asked by: George Galloway (Workers Party of Britain - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons there are differential rates for visas for dependents of British citizens coming from non-EU countries and visas for dependents of EU non-British citizens domiciled in Britain.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Dependants of British citizens from non-EU countries who wish to enter the UK
are required to apply for entry under the Immigration Rules. In line with its
legislative powers, the Home Office sets immigration and nationality fees to
reflect the administrative cost of processing an application as well as
benefits and entitlements that may accrue if an applicant is successful. These
fees apply to foreign national family members of British citizens applying for
entry under the Immigration Rules. The Home Office believes that it is right
that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system contribute to
its running costs.
The rights of EU nationals to live and work in other European Union Member
States, and to be accompanied by their non-EU family members, are set out in
European Union law, in Directive 2004/38/EC ("the Free Movement Directive"), by
which all EU Member States are bound. The Free Movement Directive does not
cover the rights of EU citizens living in their country of nationality, so it
does not apply to British nationals living in the UK. The Free Movement
Directive requires Member States to issue entry clearance visas to non-EU
family members of EU nationals free of charge.
Asked by: George Galloway (Workers Party of Britain - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will abolish the differential rates for visas paid by British and EU non-British citizens living in the UK for dependents outside the EU and make the cost of all such visas the same as the EU rate.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Dependants of British citizens from non-EU countries who wish to enter the UK
are required to apply for entry under the Immigration Rules. In line with its
legislative powers, the Home Office sets immigration and nationality fees to
reflect the administrative cost of processing an application as well as
benefits and entitlements that may accrue if an applicant is successful. These
fees apply to foreign national family members of British citizens applying for
entry under the Immigration Rules. The Home Office believes that it is right
that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system contribute to
its running costs.
The rights of EU nationals to live and work in other European Union Member
States, and to be accompanied by their non-EU family members, are set out in
European Union law, in Directive 2004/38/EC ("the Free Movement Directive"), by
which all EU Member States are bound. The Free Movement Directive does not
cover the rights of EU citizens living in their country of nationality, so it
does not apply to British nationals living in the UK. The Free Movement
Directive requires Member States to issue entry clearance visas to non-EU
family members of EU nationals free of charge.