THE ‘biggest shake-up of the immigration system in 45 years’ got underway yesterday, according to the Brown government.
The ‘shake-up’ is that the British ruling class is going to shut the black and Asian masses from its former empire – now Commonwealth – out of the UK, and in their place allow in many hundreds of thousands of white skinned, Christian, eastern European cheap labourers.
Migrants will be allowed in from the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean only if they are either very rich, or very highly skilled, or if British companies take out a license to recruit them.
Just to make doubly sure that no undesirables are allowed in, the former Appeals system against deportation before a judge is to be abolished. Where there are claims of racial discrimination there will be a review carried out by the administration – rather like the police investigating complaints against itself!
An appeal in front of a judge is to be replaced by a rubber stamp Kangaroo Court.
To add insult to injury, migrants are to be levied at the point of entry to ‘help pay’ for any state benefits or state services that they may consume.
This is just the first step to forcing all-non EU migrants to pay in full for all state services that they use. It is part of the government’s privatisation campaign.
All non-EU migrants are also to have ID cards by the end of this year, that can be checked internally by the police and all providers of services, and at the border by the new UK Border Agency which is to be established to guard the island from non-EU foreigners.
If migrants want to become British citizens they face a new points system to conquer, of language, constitutional and history tests, as well as inquiries as to whether they are law-abiding or not, before they can become probationary citizens – Britain is to have its own caste system.
To become full citizens the migrants will have to show proper citizenship qualities such as a desire and a willingness to do unpaid voluntary work.
If migrants wish to bring in a partner from the home country with a view to marriage, she or he will have to pass a language and other tests, pay a levy if their partner is allowed in, and go through the whole citizenship rigmarole.
The racist nature of the above arrangements stand out a mile, especially when they are contrasted with the entry of hundreds of thousands of white workers from eastern Europe who are not required to learn English, have any knowledge of British history or to pay levies for services they may consume.
As well, they do not have to satisfy the citizenship rigmarole or have ID cards by the end of this year.
All they are required to do is to work for very low wages without complaint.
As well, the ‘biggest shake-up’ is being designed so that the state can deport the many thousands of ‘illegal’ workers who are currently employed by British companies. They are not to get an amnesty.
On the contrary, as the government stated yesterday ‘Employers from today face civil penalties of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker they employ. Those found to have knowingly hired illegal workers could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison.’
Employers will be forced to sack or inform on the large numbers of illegal workers who are in their employ. No doubt the intention is to round them up ‘French Style’ and deport them.
The News Line and the WRP opposes all racist legislation. We call on all workers in the UK to unite for the socialist revolution to smash British capitalism and imperialism, to go forward to socialism.
