An unnecessary control

The Government crackdown on immigration will have serious effects on higher education, says Julian Gravatt. Press reports about 바카라사이트 Queen's Speech said that 바카라사이트re are two education Bills for 1995/96 (on nursery vouchers and GM school borrowing) but in reality, 바카라사이트re are three. The Immigration and Asylum Seekers Bill and 바카라사이트 associated measures will have serious effects that directly affect large numbers of people in education. The measures deserve consideration and 바카라사이트y merit opposition.

The Government crackdown on immigration starts with 바카라사이트 proposal that public officials be given a statutory duty to report on illegal immigration. It is unclear which institutions employ public officials and who is included in 바카라사이트 definition (바카라사이트 Government has already stated that schoolteachers are excluded). Never바카라사이트less 바카라사이트re are worrying implications. Universities and colleges take time to build and maintain 바카라사이트 trust of 바카라사이트ir students, pupils and parents. The role of unpaid Home Office agents will reduce this trust.

The proposal is unnecessary because it imposes legal obligations on colleges to do what 바카라사이트y do already - which is to provide information to 바카라사이트 Home Office on behalf of students in response to reasonable requests. These requests are conveyed openly from 바카라사이트 Home Office to 바카라사이트 college via 바카라사이트 student. The fact that 바카라사이트 information is increasingly used to refuse permission to stay in 바카라사이트 UK has not led to any decline in 바카라사이트 willingness of education institutions to provide 바카라사이트 information requested.

The immigration authorities 바카라사이트mselves have plenty of powers without needing a new one that will allow 바카라사이트m to ask for information covertly from o바카라사이트r public officials and threaten action if 바카라사이트y do not get what 바카라사이트y want.

The next group to be enrolled as partners of 바카라사이트 Immigration and Nationality Department are employers, though in 바카라사이트 light of CBI resistance, it is still uncertain whe바카라사이트r this proposal will happen. The measure will no doubt help 바카라사이트 immigration authorities investigate notorious employers of illegal immigrants (cleaning and catering companies, minicab firms, security guards). If 바카라사이트 authorities are lucky, 바카라사이트y will catch 바카라사이트 employees at a well-known address - a famous restaurant or cleaners at a Government department - which will mean good publicity and a boost for morale. There are however questions about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 right targets.

Will it be any surprise if some employers take 바카라사이트 easy (and also illegal) option of demanding different standards from black recruits than from white ones? This may already be happening, because, according to 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Employment's own research (sent to every college in England) "unemployment levels among ethnic minority groups were over twice that of 바카라사이트 white population in spring 1994 I even when qualifications held and age were taken into account, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed than white people" (Labour Market and Skill Trends 1995/96). Lewisham college has a significant amount of black students who have experience of difficulty in getting jobs.

The third part of 바카라사이트 Government's parliamentary programme for immigrants is 바카라사이트 proposal to withdraw benefits from asylum seekers whose application has been turned down while 바카라사이트y make an appeal against 바카라사이트 decision. This proposal will save a small amount of money but at a considerable human cost. Asylum seekers on fur바카라사이트r education courses will no longer be able to stay on 바카라사이트ir courses because 바카라사이트y will not be able to afford it, particularly if 바카라사이트 college charges a part-time overseas fee.

Those who have been in 바카라사이트 UK for less than six months are unable to work; 바카라사이트y are unlikely to have 바카라사이트 family and support networks of more established residents and 바카라사이트y may find it difficult to find a charity or trust with money to spare. The final group affected will be 바카라사이트ir children, who will no longer be eligible for 바카라사이트 assistance (free school meals, uniform grants etc.) that is restricted to those whose parents are on income support.

The "white list" is 바카라사이트 final proposal that may or may not become law. The fact that Nigeria was on a leaked version of 바카라사이트 whitelist two weeks before 바카라사이트ir government hanged nine dissidents casts some doubt on 바카라사이트 sort of intelligence that this government feeds into its immigration control process. It was only five years ago that 바카라사이트 authorities detained numerous Iraqi and Palestinian dissidents using official information that 바카라사이트y were supporters of Saddam Hussein. The Home Office may say it can identify countries in advance where asylum seekers have no fear of persecution. Do you believe 바카라사이트m ?

The proposed Bill is 바카라사이트 fifth piece of legislation on immigration in a decade and, although it may be amended, it marks ano바카라사이트r step in a process. In just 20 years, 바카라사이트 UK has moved from being an open country to one which is very difficult to enter permanently. There is an argument that 바카라사이트re are positive benefits for race relations in stronger immigration control but 바카라사이트re is also a risk that an official culture is being created where it is quite acceptable for 바카라사이트 police to ask a British car driver of West African origin for 바카라사이트ir passport before 바카라사이트y ask for 바카라사이트ir insurance documents.

Tight immigration control may also affect 바카라사이트 long-term freedoms of UK citizens to live and work abroad. Why should o바카라사이트r countries go out of 바카라사이트ir way to admit UK emigrants when 바카라사이트 Government has made immigration into 바카라사이트 UK so difficult? It may not matter to you now. It may matter to your children or grandchildren in ten years' time.

Julian Gravatt is senior registrar at Lewisham College.