UK to review visa rule blocking Indians

LONDON: The Theresa May government has said it will review cases of hundreds of foreign skilled professionals affected by a rule intended to prevent criminals and terrorists from settling in the United Kingdom.

Section 322 (5) of the Immigration Act is designed to deal with criminals and those considered a threat to national security, but the British Home Office has invoked it when applications for indefinite stay by professionals from India and other countries show errors in tax returns.

After numerous protests and legal action by individuals and campaign groups, immigration minister Caroline Nokes on Tuesday told the Home Affairs Select Committee of Parliament that the Home Office will review the cases, adding that Britain welcomes the brightest and the best who contribute to the country. She said: “I’m always concerned, particularly when it is people who have been contributing to this country, whether eco- nomically or culturally to our communities, as part of our communities, when we are not about performing to the best of our ability.”

Nokes, however, added that her department was under “enormous workload” and its top current priority is to deal with the recent Windrush controversy, for which May and others in the government have apologised.

The situation faced by Indian professionals has attained a high public profile due to the coverage they have received in British media.

For example, The Guardian highlighted the case of Nisha Mohite, a pharmaceutical specialist from Mumbai who came to the UK for higher studies in 2008 and went on to set up a consultancy. When she applied for permanent residency in 2016, she was rejected due to an error in her tax records.

The overall figure of those affected is said to be over 1,000, including more than 250 Indians, but excludes those who may have left Britain over the issue.