BritCits

Below the radar

To add to our cache of primary documents, I've uploaded an important piece from Hansard,19th June 2012 :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/137090720/Hansard-19Jun2012


(Mirrored from :
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120619/debtext/120619-0001.htm#12061972000001
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120619/debtext/120619-0002.htm
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120619/debtext/120619-0003.htm
)

Note that this is the so-called 'debate' on the approach to immigration rules prior to the 9th July 2012 rule changes. Note that the discussion is faily abstract - no mention of a specific income threshold, language requirements, time to ILR, effect on elderly dependants, rules which exclude half the population of the UK from bringing in a spouse, children etc. This is not a proper 'debate' in the true sense - especially as it is headlined under 'European Convention on Human Rights' and NOT family immigration rules, or similar! Basically, this is a way to go 'under the radar'.

As John McDonnell says, ' Will the right hon. Lady clarify whether we are legislating today? Are we passing into law the rules that she published less than a week ago?'

Our view is very much that this was a back-door way of introducing rules which has had such a devastating effect on divided families ( such as those here : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/stories ).

We believe that this is a fundamentally undemocratic and dishonest way to introduce rules which have had such an appalling impact on many people.

From our introduction - http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/introduction.html :
On 9th July 2012, new immigration rules were introduced in the UK which affect a large number of British people with overseas family (spouses, children, and dependant parents). The rules will affect more and more people as time goes on. The rules were introduced by the 'back door' - first secondary legislation, and then (when the courts ruled against this - the 'Alvi' decision), emergency legislation was pushed through the House of Lords (as the Commons was in recess) without a proper debate.

What happened next :
http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2012/07/18/analysis-of-alvi/
http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2012/07/19/new-immigration-rules-brought-in-immediately/

More primary documents and correspondence :
http://www.scribd.com/sjplep/documents