The Indian Workers’ Association GB outlined its opposition to sections of the New Immigration Bill currently passaging through Parliament. The bill first proposed as a draft in 2006 was considered too toxic by the Labour Government and failed to meet the light of day.
At a packed out meeting on 15 January evening attended by over 150 people representing 75 organisations met to lobby Lords and Parliamentarians at the House of Commons by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and the Movement Against Xenophobia (MAX). At any one time over 125 people piled into committee room 12 and shared knowledgeable and experience with the panel to forensically and passionately put their various cases against the Bill. The meeting was addressed by the Bishops of Newcastle and Carlisle, by Baroness Ruth Lister and Lords Roger Roberts, Alf Dubs and Eric Avebury.
The Bishops described it as a pernicious Bill that needs careful examination and scrutiny. Something that has so far been missing as the Bill has progressed through House of Commons with Labour abstaining during the second reading of the Bill.
Harsev Bains the National Vice President of IWA GB outlined key elements of their opposition and disproportionate level of discrimination in the impact of the New Immigration Bill. Representing Southall in West London which last year saw ad-vans asking migrants to “Go Home”, Texting long standing British Citizens with foreign sounding names that they were illegally settled here and one of the most bizarre actions by a serving Prime Minister knocking on doors in Southall searching for illegal immigrants.
The Immigration Bill proposes removal of Article 8 of European Convention of Human Rights that protects individual right for respect to private and family life. There will no longer be a fundamental human right of appeal for correcting incorrect decisions. The obligations on landlords to check Immigration status of tenants will lead to further discrimination in Housing.
The decision to provide evidence of an income of £18,600 to sponsor a non EU spouse far exceeding the National Minimum Wage( this was also under debate at the same time in the House of Commons ,as a motion moved by the opposition for a living wage). The Government is appealing against an earlier judgement , where this requirement was described as immoral. The IWA has called for a mass protest outside the court of Appeal. Date and times to be announced.
The IWA also denounced and called for the roll- back of increases in the ILETS requirements being imposed on nursing staff effecting almost a hundred thousand nurses in Britain. This restrictive practice to employment in the Health Sector has seen a rise of the requirement in all four competencies in English speaking, listening, reading and writing from 5.5 to 7.0. The IWA has started a petition and pressed on the Lords present to take up this issue of injustice.
The IWA has pledged to campaign against intolerance and the climate of hate sweeping across Britain today. As the Bishop of Carlisle said in condemning the issue of well-done vouchers to UKBA for meeting targets for deportation, “where there is hate let there be love”