Nathan Law, a former Hong Kong politician who arrived in the UK in 2020 and has a bounty on his head, said that the government should reflect on its moral obligations when enacting its increase of the standard qualifying period for permanent residence to a decade. He said the proposed change in asylum laws was creating fresh anxiety and uncertainty for Hongkongers forced to flee their homes.
The UK first introduced its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in 2023, gradually rolling it out so that by April 2025 it was compulsory for anyone entering the UK - with the exception of those travelling on a UK or Irish passport. But although the scheme has been in place for almost nine months now, people who have not had the required authorisation have mostly not actually been prevented from entering the country. This phase is due to end on February 25th, 2026.
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More than 664,000 applications for work, student, family and visitor visas were turned down in the 12 months to September 2024, with India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe facing the highest refusals.
Fadi Farhat emphasized that the Paris London migrant deal is 'toothless' and fails to deliver the effectiveness claimed by the government.
An investigation found that migrants in taxpayer hotels are charged with serious crimes such as rape, sexual assault, robbery, and grievous bodily harm.
The Ministry of Defence offered to expedite the review of a rejected resettlement application of an Afghan national after he posted sensitive details from a data breach on Facebook.
"My husband has tried to pass the English exam a few times but his medical condition got in the way. The announcement that they are making the English requirement harder made us both devastated."