A recent statement from Britain’s Immigration Minister Damien Green has confirmed that the UK will start to integrate what it calls a ‘sustainable selective immigration system’.

With plans to ensure that ‘the right people are coming here’, Mr Green highlighted the importance of making sure that immigrants to the UK are a positive influence on the country, particularly in terms of economic contribution.

Mr Green said, “We need to know not just that the right number of people are coming here, but that the right people are coming here. People that will benefit Britain – not just those who will benefit by Britain.”

This is a popular topic in the British media at the moment in light of the fact that austerity cuts are bringing any real or perceived ‘waste’ of public money into a harsh spotlight. It also sits closely alongside the Government’s intention to deliver a long-term transformation of the UK’s immigration policies with a view to introducing greater selectivity and stricter regulations.

There are positive implications to these intended policies with regards to foreign nationals that wish to come to the UK, providing they meet the criteria of a ‘contribution-based system’ for economically-active people including entrepreneurs and investors, as well as the existing regulations for entertainers, trainees and researchers of certain levels.

Mr Green’s insistence that he wishes to ‘raise the tone of the immigration debate’ has widely meant that the media has focused on the point that ‘Britain does not need more middle managers, any more than it needs unskilled labour.’ This comes on the back of the announcement that new controls on the immigrants coming to Britain must prove they can speak English to a certain level and that they will have no recourse to public funds/benefits. One of the most vivid changes in these reforms state that the total household income of the sponsor wishing to bring a foreign fiancee, partner or spouse to the UK must be at least £26,000. Mr Green highlighted that more changes relating to the specific of family migration to the UK is soon to follow this initial information.

We are expecting additional policy announcements to come from Home Secretary Theresa May, and will update the news section accordingly.