UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Migrant workers and foreign students to be charged 50 pounds to enter UK

Thursday, 19 March 2009

Foreign workers and students from outside the European Union will have to pay £50 when arriving in the UK to help ease the impact of immigrants on public services.

The new 'migrant tax', to be announced this week, will be levied on those applying for a work or study related visas from non-EU countries. Those who will be levied range from Australian bar staff to Premiership footballers, amongst others.

The migrant tax is expected to raise £70 million over the next few years. The funds raised will be distributed to councils struggling to cope with the impact of mass migration on services such as doctors' surgeries, hospitals and school.

The UK ministers are hoping that acknowledging the pressure caused by mass immigration in some areas will prevent voters being persuaded by the British National Party at the European elections in May.

In a speech this week, Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, will say "While many migrants play an important role in our community, we need an honest debate about the local pressures that migration can create on our public services. This fund will pay for the public services in the areas where migration has the impact on our local communities."

According to a report produced by MPs, community tensions were at their highest last year in areas which had experienced the most rapid influxes of immigrations, including Peterborough, Burnley, Barking and Dagenham in east London.

The Communities Committee said that while migrants often made 'significant contributions' to local communities, working in the NHS or other public services, there was 'significant public anxiety' in some areas about immigration, which "cannot simply be dismissed as expressions of racist or xenophobic sentiments".

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