Thursday, March 19, 2009

Eff The Westminster Government

Continuing Labour's anti-immigration policies, Westminster announced today that beginning this year, economic migrants and students coming to the UK from outside the EU will have to pay a £50.

The government said the 'migrant tax' starting later this year will go toward funding public services, such as health and education, in specific areas with large non-EU migrant populations.

But the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a centre-left thinktank, said the government should be careful about how it presents the tax, which is expected to raise 70 million pounds over the next two years, to the British people.

"The migration transition fund is a good way of getting money to public services quickly, to cover costs for interpreters for example, but we should remember that most migrants are young and fit and not heavy users of public services," said Jill Rutter, senior research fellow in IPPR's migration team.

"Government and local public services must be careful not to fuel anti-migrant sentiments by suggesting that migrants place strains on schools, the police and the NHS [National Health Service].

"In reality, migrants contribute to public service provision through taxation and as public service workers," she added.

After announcing that
from April, non-EU workers wanting to come to Britain must have a master's degree - rather than a bachelor's degree, as currently - and a previous salary equivalent to at least £20,000, non-EU immigrants and students now have to pay a £50 visa charge?!

Seriously, f*ck this Government that I didn't even vote for in Westminster and their blatant anti-immigration policies. I ALREADY pay taxes and National Insurance - all without recourse to benefits, so God help me if I ever lost my job - and now an additional £50 charge for just being a filthy immigrant from outwith the EU?

When did Labour become the new Conservatives?

5 comments:

Flippin' Yank said...

What a crock! Yet another reason why the UK is ripoff central!

If they create barriers for immigrants, the economy is going to suffer greatly. At least in my view.

Immigrants are a source of job creation, they bring new ideas and new business connections, and the ability to help create jobs in new companies and existing companies.

Also, a Master's degree doesn't necessarily mean that a person is talented, skilled or an expert in a particular field. I've lost count on how many Harvard MBA's had no idea what they were doing. What about those people whose experience trumps any higher degree?

Immigration policies here are a major factor why my fiance and I are on the fence about living permanently here. As it stands now, he has a better chance at finding a job in the US than I do in the UK.

Melaina25 said...

It's such BS. I pay NI, council tax and on top of that £300+ for my VISA with no recourse to benefits, so why another £50?

Even more so I know people who are UK citizens and unemployed, yet are not eligible for benefits and are still expected to pay council tax.

BOOO!!!!

Jennifer said...

Ladies, you are both right and it's total pants and bollocks! The whole thing is a sham.

David T. Macknet said...

I wonder: a European or a UK "master's degree?" The reason I ask is 'cause some schools in the UK give out a master's to those kids who are graduating from what I would call undergraduate - meaning that they have a bachelor's - but it's still called a master's.

I learned early on that I needed to say that I've got a European master's degree if I want it to carry any weight here.

It is awful, though, that we're being taxed without representation. Wasn't there a war about that?

David T. Macknet said...

Spiegel has an article on it here.