This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7253933.stm

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Immigrants 'to face higher fees' Would-be citizens face more tests
(39 minutes later)
Immigrants could be forced to pay higher visa charges to help fund public services, under plans reportedly being considered by the government. Immigrants who want to become British and settle permanently in the UK will need to pass more tests to "prove their worth" to the country under new plans.
A discussion paper on new terms for foreign nationals who want British citizenship will be published later. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said migrants would need to demonstrate their contribution to society beyond simply working and paying taxes.
The Green Paper is also expected to say that migrants should be able to speak English to gain citizenship. Some migrants may also have to pay into a fund to cover some of the extra burden on public services.
But it was written off as a "gimmick" by the Tories who said there should be annual limit on immigration instead. Foreigners would also have to pass a period of "probationary citizenship".
The Home Office is refusing to comment on the contents of the Green Paper, which is thought to include plans to require immigrants to pay higher application fees to help fund the schools and hospitals they use. Revealing the proposals, Ms Smith said reforming how people become citizens was the unfinished business of the UK's migration system.
According to The Guardian, potential immigrants will be asked to pay higher application fees if they have children or elderly relatives and therefore more likely to use public services. She said that future migrants would need to "earn" citizenship. This scraps the current system which allows people to apply for naturalisation on the basis of how long they have lived in the UK.
It is also reported that those hoping to become British will be accorded temporary resident status for five years. 'Transitional fund'
'Additional fees' Ms Smith said migrants from outside the EEA would no longer have an option of living in the UK without becoming more committed to society over time.
They would then become probationary citizens for a year after which - if they pass a test - they would have full British status. In the future, she said, they would be encouraged to "move on" through a system that leads to citizenship - or choose ultimately to leave the country.
The package of measures includes:
  • Raising visa fees for a special "transitional impact" fund
  • More English language testing ahead of nationality
  • Requirements to prove integration into communities
  • Increasing how long it takes to become British
    • Ministers say the impacts fund and its fees are yet to be worked out but would be designed to ease pressures caused by the movement of people.
    Press reports suggest it would raise £15m a year.
    The system could see migrants with children or elderly relatives expected to pay higher application fees. Migrants would find their route to citizenship and full access to benefits, such as higher education, accelerated if they can prove they are "active" citizens.
    This would include proof of charity work, involvement in the local community and letters from referees.
    At the same time, those who break the law would find the process far harder - or would be barred completely from becoming British.
    'Gimmick'
    The Home Office said that it would still be possible for someone to be permanently resident as a foreign national in the UK - but it would be preferable for them to seek citizenship because of the benefits it would bring.
    "Our new deal for citizenship is clear and fair," said Ms Smith.
    "The rights and benefits of citizenship will be available to those who consider who can demonstrate a commitment to our shared values and a willingness to contribute to our community.
    There is much less to this Green Paper than meets the eye Damian GreenShadow immigration ministerThere is much less to this Green Paper than meets the eye Damian GreenShadow immigration minister
    Last year the UK Visas Agency raised £190m from 2.7 million applicants. "This is a country of liberty and tolerance, opportunity and diversity. These values are reinforced by the expectation that all who live here should learn our language, play by the rules, obey the law and contribute to the economy."
    The Daily Telegraph reported that the additional fees could be set at 10% of the cost of a visa, which would be an extra £20 on top of the typical £200 charge for those wishing to stay in the UK beyond six months. But the Conservatives said the proposals were a "gimmick" and called for an annual limit on immigration instead.
    Migrants arriving from EU countries would not pay, as they do not need a visa to live and work in the UK.
    'Milch cow'
    Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, attacked the proposals as an unfair tax on migrants, many of whom, he said, were young men who did not use schools and hospitals.
    "Unfortunately, migrants are being made the 'milch cow' to make up the shortfall in government finances," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
    But shadow immigration minister Damian Green, for the Conservatives, said the plans were a "gimmick".But shadow immigration minister Damian Green, for the Conservatives, said the plans were a "gimmick".
    HAVE YOUR SAYImmigrants should be able to speak English, have a trade and some funds behind them before they come to the UKTorianne Newton, ManchesterSend us your comments
    "There is much less to this Green Paper than meets the eye," he told Today."There is much less to this Green Paper than meets the eye," he told Today.
    He said the £15m it was proposing to raise was a "drop in the ocean" compared to the extra expense for schools, hospitals and the police caused by immigration.He said the £15m it was proposing to raise was a "drop in the ocean" compared to the extra expense for schools, hospitals and the police caused by immigration.
    He said the only answer was to place an annual limit on migration - but backed plans to insist on migrants learning English to gain citizenship. saying it was essential "to play a full part in modern Britain".He said the only answer was to place an annual limit on migration - but backed plans to insist on migrants learning English to gain citizenship. saying it was essential "to play a full part in modern Britain".
    The Local Government Association is calling for a £250m fund for local authorities experiencing high rates of migration and more accurate statistics about where migrants are living.
    LGA chairman Simon Milton said migration benefited the UK's economy but added: "The problem is that the money that is being generated isn't necessarily finding its way back down to the local level."
    'Earned citizenship'
    Prime Minister Gordon Brown is also due to give a speech on Wednesday about citizenship and the rights and responsibilities of those who come to the UK.
    In a speech last year, before he became prime minister, he said immigrants should do community work to help them settle before they are granted UK citizenship.
    Among other suggestions by government ministers was the idea that migrants should "earn" British citizenship under a points-based system.
    In a pamphlet for the Fabian Society last year, by the then Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and immigration minister Liam Byrne, proposals included giving credit to migrants for doing voluntary work.
    But they could be lost for offences like fly tipping, anti-social behaviour or dangerous driving, it was suggested.