United Kingdom Introduces 5 New Laws Targetting Kenyan Immigrants
The UK administration has implemented fresh initiatives aimed at decreasing the annual influx of immigrants into the country.
On Monday, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced that the new regulations intend to reduce the influx of more than 300,000 individuals moving to the United Kingdom, a significant portion of whom are Kenyan immigrants.
As per the 2020 migration data from the United Nations, the USA harbors the largest population of Kenyan migrants, totaling 157,000 individuals, closely trailed by the UK, which hosts 139,000.
Cleverly revealed a strategic blueprint consisting of five points set to commence in January 2024.
This involved:
Family Dependants
Caregivers from abroad will no longer have permission to bring their family members along.
Cleverly stated that more than 100,000 relatives joined care workers in migrating to the UK by September 2023.
This raised doubts about immigrants’ capacity to support their family members and avoid becoming reliant on government assistance.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has recently expressed concern about the significant increase in immigrants, emphasizing the necessity to bring this influx down to sustainable levels.
Eligibility for Work Visa
The requirement to be eligible for a skilled worker visa in the UK has risen from a baseline income of Ksh5 million to Ksh7.4 million.
This implies that to be eligible for a skilled work visa, an individual must have an annual income of at least Ksh 7 million.
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At present, the UK visa system comprises five tiers. These tiers encompass Tier 1 for High-Value Migrants, such as professionals, Tier 2 catering to skilled workers, Tier 3 designated for unskilled workers, Tier 4 designed for students, and Tier 5 catering to temporary workers.
Cleverly, however, pointed out that the health and care sector will be exempted from the increase.
Shortage Occupation List
The Home Secretary declared the elimination of the shortage occupation list to create a fair playing field between British and foreign workers.
The list of scarcity in occupations includes jobs where the need for workers surpasses the available supply within the job market.
Under the prior legislation, employers favored foreign workers because the law permitted immigrants to receive wages that were 20 percent lower than those of British workers.
Under the updated regulations, a fresh immigration roster will substitute the existing one, ensuring equivalent rates for British citizens.
Annual Charges
Cleverly revealed that the UK government has raised the yearly fees for non-native employees accessing the National Health Service (NHS) from Ksh121,033 to Ksh198,424.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK offers accessible healthcare to all residents, funded by contributions from taxation, ensuring affordable medical care for everyone.
Graduate Visas
Ultimately, the British government tasked a Migration Advisory Committee with thoroughly examining the graduate visa pathway and proposing measures to restrict the number of participants.
United Kingdom Introduces 5 New Laws Targetting Kenyan Immigrants
