UK weighs EU immigration impact
Possible delays to Brexit talks: negotiator
LONDON, July 27, (Agencies): Britain on Thursday began a study of the “costs and benefits” of EU immigration that will only be completed by September 2018 — just a few months before it is planning to leave the bloc.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the study would consider the regional distribution of EU migration, which industries are most reliant on it and the role of temporary and seasonal workers in the economy.
“We will ensure we continue to attract those who benefit us economically, socially and culturally.
“But, at the same time, our new immigration system will continue to give us control of the volume of people coming here,” she wrote in the Financial Times.
Rudd supported the campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union and, while she now supports Brexit, her position is seen as more moderate than other cabinet members who want a clean break from the EU.
She said on Thursday that she wanted to reassure businesses and EU nationals “that we will ensure there is no ‘cliff edge’ once we leave the bloc”.
Josh Hardie, deputy head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), welcomed the study as a “sensible first step” but opposition parties questioned
2015 interior ministry document which outlined new guidance for British universities and colleges to counter extremism on campuses. It cited Butt as a person who expressed views contrary to British values. why it had not been carried out before.
“The NHS (National Health Service), businesses and universities that depend on European citizens need answers now, not in another 14 months’ time,” said Ed Davey, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.
The government has outlined proposals for the status of some 3.2 million EU nationals already living in Britain but has not said what new immigration rules it wants once it is out of the bloc.
Rates
High rates of immigration from other parts of the EU — around 250,000 people a year — were one of the key drivers behind the victorious campaign for leaving the union in last year’s referendum.
EU immigration has fallen by around a quarter since the vote, leaving some sectors such as the health service struggling to fill vacancies.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has indicated that a divorce deal should be in place by October 2018 to allow time for ratification before the scheduled departure date of March 2019.
Media reports have highlighted divisions in the government, with some moderates indicating that free movement
Butt had also argued that collection and dissemination of his personal data by a government counter-terrorism unit was unlawful and amounted to surveillance.
He plans to seek the right to appeal against of people could continue during a transition period of up to four years even after Brexit.
Meanwhile, talks between Britain an the European Union on their future relationship are now less likely to start in October, the EU’s top negotiator has said, because of lack of progress on Brexit divorce issues so far, EU officials said.
The EU’s top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Wednesday briefed ambassadors from the 27 countries that will remain in the EU after Britain leaves in March 2019 on the outcome of the July round of the monthly divorce talks with London last week.
“He said the likelihood of starting the future relationship talks in October appeared to be decreasing,” one EU official involved in the Brexit talks said.
Barnier had earlier hoped that sufficient progress on the key divorce issues — a financial settlement, citizens rights and a solution for a non-physical border between Northern Ireland and Ireland — could be made by October.
This would allow EU leaders to give their consent to starting talks with London on the main aspects of the relationship after Brexit — a discussion Britain is keen to start as soon as possible to provide more clarity to businesses.
Ouseley’s decision to reject this argument.
A separate defamation case against the ministry related to Butt’s inclusion in the press release is ongoing.
In a statement released via his lawyers, Butt said that although disappointed with the ruling, he was pleased previously “secretive and opaque” processes had been held up to scrutiny. “This is the first step in a long process of holding our government to account for arbitrary restrictions on the rights of any citizen,” he said. (RTRS)
Anti-semitic incidents hit record:
Anti-Semitic hate incidents in Britain rose by 30 percent to a record high of 767 in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year, a Jewish community group said on Thursday.
The Community Security Trust said 80 of the incidents involved physical attacks but the highest number was verbal abuse at visibly Jewish people in public places.
“Anti-Semitism is having an increasing impact on the lives of British Jews and the hatred and anger that lies behind it is spreading,” David Delew, head of the Community Security Trust (CST), said in a statement.
The trust said 51 of the incidents were linked to damage or desecration of Jewish property. Most of the incidents were concentrated in London and Manchester, the country’s two biggest Jewish communities.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a statement that the rise in incidents could be due to better reporting but added that “one such incident is one too many”. (AFP)