On February 21st more than 350 Asian doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs and other professionals gathered outside Parliament to protest against the "unfair" immigration rules that have left them in limbo regarding their residency status in the UK. This was the second protest the group had organised after a successful gathering outside 10 Downing Street in the end of January.
The protest was supported by many MPs including Labour MPs Seema Malhotra and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Alison Thewlis from the SNP who also campaigned for this group and there is a Parliamentary meeting organised in the first week of March, where the migrant group have also been invited to participate. Seema has also planned to call for a debate in the UK Parliament on how highly skilled immigrants from India are being treated by the Home Office. The campaign has also been supported by Lord Nazir Ahmed, who joined the protesters at the Parliament Square.
This protest was held on the same day when Shadow Immigration Minister Diane Abbott criticised the UK government for its immigration policies and creating a 'hostile environment' in a speech at King's College Policy Institute. She also said that the NHS crisis is caused by Tory cuts including the huge shortage of doctors, nurses and other workers.
Aditi Bhardwaj, one of the lead campaigners told Asian Voice, “We have some MPs backing us. But we are looking to meet more of Parliamentarians, have more support, raise more awareness, since refusing someone right to live here just on assumptions is not only disproportionate but also inhuman.”
The Highly Skilled Migrants group moved to live and work in the country from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria turned up at the square with their families to wave placards reading "Right to work is a universal right. Home Office removed my right" and "Enough is enough, stop discrimination". The group, which included young children, also chanted slogans like "We want justice" and "One, two, three, four, discrimination no more".
While the visa category has been discontinued since 2010, former applicants are eligible to apply for residency in Britain until April this year if they meet the necessary requirements.
The group claims to be aware of hundreds of cases where applications under the Tier 1 (General) route are either held up, or in lengthy delays or been refused under Immigration Act which is aimed at criminals and tax evaders.
Mobilising the protest, Aditi, a businesswoman who was successful in her own residency after long delays last year added, "The April deadline is a major factor for us. After that deadline, the applicants will struggle to re-apply to overcome any incorrect decisions by the Home Office. It seems like some of the systemic delays are linked with that. These are human lives at stake. I have also been through immense emotional stress over this, that makes me feel strongly about supporting others in situations like this.”
To the alleged claim, UK Home Office replied saying all their decisions are made "as quickly as possible" and that any refusals are a direct result of discrepancies in the tax data quoted by applicants.
Dhesi reportedly said, "In terms of the highly-skilled migrants, I know from the sheer numbers of constituents who have been in touch about the seriousness of this issue. They are not being fairly treated by the Home Office.”
