https://twitter.com/APPGMigration tweets a blow by blow account of the oral session now. Good to follow along.
http://www.appgmigration.org.uk/family-inquiry
Baroness Hamwee outlining the rules and introduces the format of the meeting. pic.twitter.com/FAccA6kQ
A personal statement by member of public. Room totally packed. pic.twitter.com/Uw3G2WbX
Prof David Metcalf is being questioned by the committee. In particular, the income threshold and how they want about setting it.
Metcalf is being asked about regional variations of wages. He said variations don't differ that much.
Loads of questions from parliamentarians about benefits and long term available evidence with proper estimations of impact.
Barry O'Leary of ILPA is now being asked about the rules. Begins my clarifying some of Metcalf's claims.
O'Leary demolishing rules in 'blocks'. Lots of laughter around room.
O'Leary picks church missionaries as classic examples of those affected by the rules.
O'Leary rips apart the rules from spouses, children, to parents, who have been affected. Parliamentarians very surprised by statement.
Mahmud Quyuam of Camden Community Law Centre giving evidence now. Speaking about Bangladeshi community & how they have been affected.
Quyuam says BME households are to be disproportionately affected, which has been underscored by the DWP.
Jill Rutter now speaking and says threshold is arbitrary and a number things can't be taken into account.
Rules discriminate against sectors such as child care and social care, says Rutter.
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https://twitter.com/MigrantVoiceUK tweets :
Good to see migrant support sector come together to present oral evidence https://twitter.com/APPGMigration family migration. Hope MPs act!
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Human rights and the immigration rules.
http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2013/02/11/human-rights-and-the-immigration-rules/
Together, these cases represent a demolition of the Government’s attempts to gain exclusive ownership over Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to a private and family life. The cases do, however, recognise that the hard official line against private and family life has an impact on the way that the tribunal must assess proportionality...
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Letters: Leominster's welcome for Bulgarians.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/feb/10/leominster-welcome-bulgarians
You write of "Bulgarians taken aback by British xenophobia" (Do you mean us?, 2 February). On 5 June 2006 you devoted a page to east European workers near Leominster. It was a horror story of bad accommodation, lack of facilities, poor pay, passports lodged elsewhere and workers being misled. A group of concerned local people did something about it. We set up a drop-in centre with free refreshments and literature in various languages, English classes and useful contacts. Since then conditions have improved dramatically, there are fewer workers and they are predominantly Bulgarian. We organise various activities for and with them, including suppers, barbecues, concerts, visits and the now annual Bulgaria v Leominster football match. All this has been done with financial and other support from employers and local council. It's clear that most have no wish to stay here, merely to earn enough money to make life easier back home. (Shades of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.) Friendships have been formed and there must be many Bulgarians with happy memories. So much for xenophobia.
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Mathematics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJX5XHnONTI
A poem about immigration, based on a guy I used to have to listen to when I worked in a clothes shop.
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Can immigrants play a part in deciding who wins the Eastleigh mud-wrestle?
http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/blog/2013/02/can-immigrants-play-part-deciding-who-wins-eastleigh-mud-wrestle
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Free ESOL & Life Skills classes for women in London.
http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/news/2013/free-esol-life-skills-classes-women-london
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Shouting is a lawful interrogation technique, says High Court.
http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2013/02/11/shouting-is-a-lawful-interrogation-technique-says-high-court/
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https://twitter.com/DannyShawBBC tweets :
Pope quits. It's official. Watch out for Whitehall departments finding bad news to bury..
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https://twitter.com/deportedfromUK tweets :
at last some
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http://www.stripes.com/news/immigration-military-rules-challenge-female-soldier-s-marriage-to-german-woman-1.206784
STUTTGART, Germany — GI marries local girl.
From Japan and South Korea to countries across Europe, it’s a story that’s been around as long as the military has operated garrisons overseas, and deployed young troops to man them.
Now, with gay servicemembers permitted to live out in the open, there’s a new twist. And as one young couple is learning, there are still lots of wrinkles to iron out.
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