Home Affairs Committee express concern over the of backlog of asylum applications
The Home Office regularly updates the Home Affairs Committee with information on progress in dealing with the backlog of some 400,000 - 450,000 asylum applications. In 'The Work of the UK Border Agency’ (HC 105-I) the Committee acknowledges the increased resources that have been made available to clear the substantial backlog of asylum applications but says UK Border Agency's (UKBA) self-imposed deadline of 2011 is simply too long.
The Committee says with that with the available resources all cases going back three years or more should be finally decided by September 2010 at the latest.
Immigration Law to be consolidated and repealed
'Simplifying Immigration Law (Cm. 7730)', outlines the Government's intentions to simplify immigration law. Recent legislative changes have supported the policy, process and organisation changes the Government has put in place, but there is a need for a wider reform of the legal framework for immigration. The 'Draft Immigration Bill (Cm. 7666)', (ISBN 9780101766623) sets out the detailed proposals.
Economic impact of immigration examined
Immigration has become highly significant to the UK economy as immigrants now comprise 12% of the total workforce. In this Report, 'The Economic Impact of Immigration' (HL 82-I), the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs examines the impact of immigration on the UK economy.
Cancellation of asylum accommodation centre
reviewed
This National Audit Office Report,
‘The
Cancellation of Bicester Accommodation Centre’ (HC 1035), examines the
Government's decision in June 2005 to cancel plans for a new purpose-built
accommodation centre at Bicester, which was to have been built as part of a
pilot programme for people seeking asylum in the UK.
Economic impact of immigration revealed
This Report, 'The
Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration' (Cm. 7237), has been produced as
a cross-departmental submission to the inquiry being conducted by the House of
Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs into the economic impact of
immigration in the UK.
UK immigration statistics for 2006 released
The Immigration Research and Statistics Service (IRSS)
collects and published statistics on immigration control, enforcement,
citizenship and asylum as part of the National Statistics work programme.
In this Report
‘Control
of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006’ (Cm. 7197), the IRSS
publishes the results of its immigration and asylum research programme.
Highly skilled migrants immigration rights
examined
This Report
‘Highly
Skilled Migrants: Changes to Immigration Rules’ (HL 173/HC 993) examines
the changes made to the Immigration Rules in 2006, in the light of the impact
on the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme.
UK Immigration Statistics for 2005
Immigration control regulates the entry and refusal of
entry of passengers into the UK; the conditions of stay and any variations
following entry; settlement and deportation. In 2005 the estimated number of
international arrivals from outside the Common Travel Area rose by 5% while
asylum applications, excluding dependants, fell by 24%.