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| Nick Clegg forces rethink on visa bond plan | Nick Clegg forces rethink on visa bond plan |
| (3 months later) | |
| Theresa May's plans for a £3,000 cash bond to deter "high risk" Asian and African short-term visitors from overstaying in Britain are being hastily rewritten after Nick Clegg declined to sign off the details of a pilot scheme due to start in November. | Theresa May's plans for a £3,000 cash bond to deter "high risk" Asian and African short-term visitors from overstaying in Britain are being hastily rewritten after Nick Clegg declined to sign off the details of a pilot scheme due to start in November. |
| The scheme was floated at the weekend by the home secretary and provoked an uproar in India and Nigeria, which were among the six countries named as possible targets, with threats that reciprocal action should be taken against British visitors. The other countries were Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ghana. | The scheme was floated at the weekend by the home secretary and provoked an uproar in India and Nigeria, which were among the six countries named as possible targets, with threats that reciprocal action should be taken against British visitors. The other countries were Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ghana. |
| "The policy has not yet been signed off," said a Liberal Democrat source. "We are in favour of the principle but the exact details of how it is to be piloted, including the size of the bond, is still being discussed in government." Clegg has said he favours the introduction of a £1,000 cash bond to deter overstayers. | "The policy has not yet been signed off," said a Liberal Democrat source. "We are in favour of the principle but the exact details of how it is to be piloted, including the size of the bond, is still being discussed in government." Clegg has said he favours the introduction of a £1,000 cash bond to deter overstayers. |
| Home Office sources confirmed that the level at which the bond is to be set was among the details yet to be decided, and said the pilot scheme was still in the planning stage. They stressed that the requirement to post a bond would not apply to all visitors from the designated countries but only to individuals regarded as high risk. | Home Office sources confirmed that the level at which the bond is to be set was among the details yet to be decided, and said the pilot scheme was still in the planning stage. They stressed that the requirement to post a bond would not apply to all visitors from the designated countries but only to individuals regarded as high risk. |
| The scheme might apply to hundreds of visitor visa applicants initially, before being expanded to cover many thousands later. The Home Office wants to pilot the scheme for six-month visitor visas and will extend it to student and work visas if it proves successful. Those who overstay their visa and fail to return home will forfeit the money. | The scheme might apply to hundreds of visitor visa applicants initially, before being expanded to cover many thousands later. The Home Office wants to pilot the scheme for six-month visitor visas and will extend it to student and work visas if it proves successful. Those who overstay their visa and fail to return home will forfeit the money. |
| The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the announcement of a £3,000 bond scheme at the weekend was in danger of provoking a diplomatic backlash in India, months after David Cameron had tried to combat the perception that Britain was closing its doors to students from the subcontinent. It reported that the Confederation of Indian Industry had attacked the scheme as "highly discriminatory and very unfortunate". | The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the announcement of a £3,000 bond scheme at the weekend was in danger of provoking a diplomatic backlash in India, months after David Cameron had tried to combat the perception that Britain was closing its doors to students from the subcontinent. It reported that the Confederation of Indian Industry had attacked the scheme as "highly discriminatory and very unfortunate". |
| In Nigeria senior politicians described the scheme as discriminatory and unacceptable. "It is targeted at the non-white Commonwealth," said Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, chair of a Nigerian parliamentary foreign affairs committee. | In Nigeria senior politicians described the scheme as discriminatory and unacceptable. "It is targeted at the non-white Commonwealth," said Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, chair of a Nigerian parliamentary foreign affairs committee. |
| Keith Vaz, chair of the Commons home affairs committee, said the move flew in the face of Cameron's intention to attract the brightest and best to Britain. "The plans could potentially alienate already settled communities in the UK," he said. | Keith Vaz, chair of the Commons home affairs committee, said the move flew in the face of Cameron's intention to attract the brightest and best to Britain. "The plans could potentially alienate already settled communities in the UK," he said. |
| "There are a number of holes in the home secretary's pilot. If this is to be workable she must conduct a proper consultation. She has said she wants to deter overstayers, yet with the mess that is E-Borders there is currently no way to monitor if people actually leave the country. The bond level of £3,000 is completely unrealistic. If somebody was determined to work here illegally this could be earned back in a matter of months," Vaz said. | "There are a number of holes in the home secretary's pilot. If this is to be workable she must conduct a proper consultation. She has said she wants to deter overstayers, yet with the mess that is E-Borders there is currently no way to monitor if people actually leave the country. The bond level of £3,000 is completely unrealistic. If somebody was determined to work here illegally this could be earned back in a matter of months," Vaz said. |
| But May said the move was the next step in making sure the immigration system was more selective, and bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain. | But May said the move was the next step in making sure the immigration system was more selective, and bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain. |
| "In the long run we're interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services," she said. "We're planning a pilot that focuses on overstayers and examines a couple of different ways of applying bonds. The pilot will apply to visitor visas, but if the scheme is successful we'd like to be able to apply it on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country." | "In the long run we're interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services," she said. "We're planning a pilot that focuses on overstayers and examines a couple of different ways of applying bonds. The pilot will apply to visitor visas, but if the scheme is successful we'd like to be able to apply it on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country." |
| • This article was amended on 26 June 2013. An earlier version of the article said the Financial Times reported that the Confederation of British Industry had attacked the scheme as "highly discriminatory and very unfortunate". This has been corrected to say the Confederation of Indian Industry. | • This article was amended on 26 June 2013. An earlier version of the article said the Financial Times reported that the Confederation of British Industry had attacked the scheme as "highly discriminatory and very unfortunate". This has been corrected to say the Confederation of Indian Industry. |
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