Immigration News from around the world

[davkakach]

Canada: Dual Citizenship up for Review
By Matthew Little
The Epoch Times, November 9, 2006
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-11-9/47944.html

Canadian nationals fleeing Lebanon are shown registering their names with Canada's embassy staff on 21 July 2006 at the port in Beirut. (Marc Burleigh/AFP/Getty Images)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be reviewing 'the rights and responsibilities of dual citizenship,' said press secretary Pema Lhalungpa on Wednesday.

But beyond that the department isn't saying much after comments Immigration Minister Monte Solberg made that Canadians want Canadian citizenship to mean something more that just having 'a port in the storm.'

Solberg made the comments to the Commons committee on citizenship and immigration in Ottawa on Tuesday. He questioned what services the government should provide to holders of dual citizenship who are outside the country for extended periods.

The review was spurred by this summer's $63 million dollar evacuation of 15,000 Canadian citizens in Lebanon during the Israeli bombardment. It is estimated that half of those people have already returned to Lebanon.

For two Whitehorse women who currently hold dual citizenship, the impact of any changes to those laws seems directly related to how much they use their dual citizenship.

Leighann Chalykoff, a young working professional, said Wednesday that if new rules forced her to choose between her American and Canadian citizenship she doesn't know what she would do since she lives and works in Canada but has close ties to her family in the United States.

'If you have ties to both countries, that's just the way it is,' she said.

Chalykoff said being able to work or go to school in both countries is important to her and she wants to know more about what changes could be made to rights and responsibilities of dual citizenship holders.

'It would cut down on the choices that I have.'

For Jacky Pierce, a publisher in her sixties, the loss of her dual citizenship isn't much of a concern.

'It doesn't matter to me, I've lived in Canada 39 years, longer than I lived down there (in the U.S.),' she said in an interview Wednesday.

For Pierce, who may want to visit her family but has no plans to work or reside in the United States, the only citizenship she is concerned about is her Canadian citizenship.

'The only interest I have is visiting my family and I am sure I could still do that with enough papers.' she said, jokingly referring to upcoming passport regulations that would require Canada-US border crossers to have passports.

'I guess it would matter to people who don't know what they want to do yet, like they're not sure where they want to live.'

Many countries that are top immigrant destinations do allow dual citizenship, including the United States and Canada. But with the rights of citizenship also come the responsibilities and, as the CIC website warns, both of those need careful consideration.

For example, foreigners may be exempt from laws that affect citizens. Those laws might include compulsory military service or taxation, says the website.

There can also be limitations to having dual citizenship. For example, while France allows dual citizenship, the French civil code forbids citizens from holding government or military positions in other countries they have citizenship in.





Tories propose migration limit based on needs of economy
By Patrick Wintour
The Guardian (U.K.), November 9, 2006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,1942782,00.html

The Tory party will today break its silence on immigration by proposing a significant cut in the number of economic migrants to Britain.

The limit would only apply to people from outside the European Union and would be set annually by the Home Office.

The party under Michael Howard made immigration a central part of its 2005 election campaign. His successor, David Cameron, seeking to project a more compassionate image, has virtually taken the issue off the political agenda.

But today the shadow home secretary, David Davis, proposes limiting the number of economic migrants, with totals restricted according to the ability of public services and infrastructure to cope, as well as the likely effect on community cohesion and the environmental impact of a rapidly rising population. 'While the precise number for any year cannot be predicted at this point, we would expect it to be significantly less than current levels,' says a pamphlet published today by Mr Davis and the shadow immigration minister, Damian Green.

With the Tory right pressing Mr Cameron not to throw away the party's strong immigration card in pursuit of a softened image, the leadership has faced a difficult balancing act. Mr Davis has kept the controversial idea of an annual limit, but dropped at least for the moment that the annual limit also apply to asylum seekers, a policy widely criticised at the time of the election as unlawful. Mr Davis acknowledges a limit on asylum seekers may be less relevant as the number of asylum claimants to the UK falls. He is promising a calmer tone in the debate, saying the vast majority of migrants have been models of good behaviour.

Currently, on gross figures, there are around 220,000 economic migrants from outside the EU to the UK annually. Within an annual limit applicants would also be filtered according to their skills. Unskilled workers would probably be denied entry on the basis that they do not bring fiscal benefit to the UK, and that Britain has access to a large unskilled labour pool via the EU. The Tories suggest anyone unlikely to earn £24,000 or more might be debarred.

Mr Davis suggests an application would be tested against whether the migrant would improve UK productivity, adding there was a danger large-scale immigration could mask the lack of indigenous skills in the workforce and leave an army of unemployed squeezed out of jobs.

The Conservatives will decide later if the policy could be based around the government's proposed points system. Mr Green summed up the stance as 'Britain does benefit from some immigration, but not from all or any immigration'.

The home secretary, John Reid, has proposed a migration advisory council to assess the labour needs of the economy. The Conservatives will look separately at asylum seeker policy and restrictions on those with family links to the UK. Mr Davis has accepted there is no possibility of banning migrants from within the EU.




Immigration to be top of agenda
By Anika Bourley
The Bradford (U.K.), November 8, 2006
http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/display.var.1009579.0.immigration_to_be_top_of_agenda.php

The Conservatives will only win the next general election if more seats are won in West Yorkshire and immigration is at the top of its agenda, it has been claimed.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said the political picture in West Yorkshire was getting worse for the Conservatives not better.

Writing for an online magazine he warned party leader David Cameron that the way he could secure success in the North, and especially 'key battleground' West Yorkshire was by talking about immigration.

He stressed: 'Anyone who thinks we can win by just talking about the environment and not talking about immigration is very seriously mistaken.'

At the next general election, 22 seats in West Yorkshire will be contested.

Before 1997 the Tories held nine but now only hold one - Shipley with a majority of 422.

However, with the Labour government becoming increasingly 'despised and increasingly bankrupt' there had never been a better opportunity for a Conservative revival in West Yorkshire, he argued.

But immigration has to be put at the top of the agenda. He said: 'It may well be that in the heart of Oxfordshire (David Cameron's Witney constituency) people are primarily concerned about climate change. Given their idyllic villages and prosperity, they may have very little else to worry about. 'However, many people have far more immediate concerns; particularly crime and immigration. I am afraid that the dreaded I' word will not go away in my part of the world.

'To win in West Yorkshire we have to show people that we understand their concerns and that we are addressing them.'

Mr Davies fears that if immigration is not discussed 'decent' people will turn to parties like the BNP in 'desperation and frustration'. But Bradford council leader Kris Hopkins said it was education and health voters wanted the Party to focus on.

Councillor Hopkins said Mr Cameron had been a 'breath of fresh air' and both the leader and shadow cabinet were supportive of the North.

He said: 'We have fought three general elections on immigration, crime and tax and lost. It is important to talk about these issues but we need to talk more about education and health and prove to voters we can be trusted to deliver.

'If we spend as much time talking about health and education as we did about the Euro we will get people to understand we are serious.''




Asian 'best friend' says e-mailed poem is offensive
By Rajeev Syal
The Times (London), November 8, 2006
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-2442786.html

A Tory parliamentary candidate who defended herself from allegations of racism by saying “some of my best friends are Asian” has, it turns out, offended her closest Asian friend.

Ellenor Bland, a Tory councillor from Quemerford, near Calne in Wiltshire, was suspended by the Conservative Party on Monday after a poem was sent from her e-mail address, depicting turban-wearing immigrants who live on benefits and dream of taking over white neighbourhoods.

Mrs Bland defended herself by implying that the poem could not be offensive because she has Asian friends.

One of those friends told The Times yesterday that he was angered by the poem.

Ala Uddin, who owns the Spice of Bengal restaurant in Calne, said: “This kind of poem can be damaging. It is wrong, and it should not be sent around as a joke”.

Mr Uddin, 39, who came to Britain from Bangladesh 27 years ago, has known Mrs Bland for many years.

He said that the poem was an unfair portrayal of Asian family life and why people come to Britain.

“I think that most Asian people come here properly and pay their taxes,” he said.

However, he said that it would be wrong to portray Mrs Bland as a racist.

In fact, he said, she had been an extremely good friend when his restaurant and car were attacked by racist thugs in the week after last year’s July 7 bombings.

“She is very much my friend. When I needed her, she was there for me,” he said.





Man admits Jedburgh sex assault
The BBC News (U.K.), November 9, 2006

An illegal immigrant has admitted carrying out a sex attack on a woman in an alleyway in the heart of Jedburgh.

Mofazzul Chowdhury, 34, a former chef at the town's Sunrise Restaurant, admitted assault with intent to rape in Abbey Place on 20 August this year.

Sentence was deferred at the High Court in Edinburgh for reports and Chowdhury placed on the sex offenders register.

The judge said he would also consider whether to recommend deportation. Chowdhury was remanded in custody.

The incident took place in the early hours of the morning just moments after the woman was dropped off by a taxi.
. . .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/6133164.stm




Illegal immigrants threaten to jump from crane
Expatica News, November 9, 2006

Brussels -- Yesterday, two of the Iranian refugees occupying the Miniemenkerk in Brussels begged from the top of the crane for their illegal status to be changed.

The minister of Internal affairs, Patrick Dewael (VLD), refused to give into this 'moral blackmail' reported Belgian newspaper de Standaard.

At around nine in the evening the Iranians finally climbed down from the crane.
. . .
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=34259

[MasterWolf1]

Arizona voters were deciding on the most ballot measures _ 19 _ including four that were approved that stemmed from frustration over the influx of illegal immigrants. One measure will make English the state's official language; another expands the list of government benefits denied to illegal immigrants.

[azrom]

Arizona voters were deciding on the most ballot measures _ 19 _ including four that were approved that stemmed from frustration over the influx of illegal immigrants. One measure will make English the state's official language; another expands the list of government benefits denied to illegal immigrants.

Yup, I was one of the people who voted for english as the official language and yes on 300 which bans benefits to illegals.

[azrom]

Yesterday the mexicants held a protest because of the passing of mesaure 300 and they called everyone who voted for it "cowards" and said it only passed because they did not have enough money to counter it.