Foreign students face family separation under Sunak’s immigration reform

A webinar hosted by Al-Arab in UK on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, discussed the impact of the new immigration law on students, the Arab community and those wishing to immigrate to Britain.

The webinar featured lawyer and legal adviser Soumaya Eddridi and Mr Adnan Hamidan, Chief of Al-Arab in UK platform, and was moderated by journalist Ibrahim Al-Qasim.

Higher costs and stricter conditions

Eddridi explained that the new immigration law, which will be applied in April 2024, includes an increase in the health insurance fee from 624 pounds to 1035 pounds, a 60% rise, starting from next January. She said that this fee, which is paid in advance, will discourage many visa applicants.

She also said another change is preventing post-graduate students from bringing their family members, except for higher education and research students.

Third major change will raise the minimum salary for employees from outside Britain to 38,700£, from 26,200£, a 50% increase. She said that this would limit the ability of companies to hire foreign workers and will reduce the demand for them, in favour of local applicants.

Eddridi said that a group of lawyers objected to the part of preventing family reunification and submitted a petition to the government, arguing that this change violates Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

A balance between rights and obligations

Hmidan said: “Britain is a country built on old institutions with an unemployment rate lower than countries with Oil plants”. He said that the government policy is based on capitalism that favours the wealthy classes and the far right.

He also said that there are no trade union bodies for students and workers in Britain that can challenge or discuss the changes in the visa laws. He mentioned that this situation gave a green light to the political leadership to tighten the visa conditions, despite the economic benefit that students bring to the country.

However, he said that raising the minimum salary for employing a foreign worker may be fair to those who take this step, as it reflects the living costs and obligations in Britain. He said that this decision balances the situation of those who wish to immigrate to work in Britain.

Is Britain still the best destination?

At the end of the webinar, Al-Qasim said that many students and workers who are affected by the new immigration law are reconsidering their plans to stay or come to Britain, as the new salary requirement is challenging to meet.

He asked the guests whether Britain is still the best destination for those who want to work and live in it, especially after the series of changes that some considered unfair.

The guests gave different answers, but they agreed that these new conditions reached their peak and that the next government, whether from the Conservatives or the Labor, would not be able to impose more restrictions in the future due to its fear of a labour crisis and its impact on the British economy, which is still recovering from leaving the European Union.

Al-Arab in UK team provided a list of links related to the changes in the immigration law, and the contact information of Eddridi’s office, to receive inquiries from the followers. The platform aims to serve the Arab community in Britain and the Arabs who wish to come to Britain, in various fields. Al-Qasim concluded the webinar by inviting the Arab community in Britain to express their opinions and ask their questions.