Hi, everyone. Welcome again to another teacher Joseph podcast.
Well, yesterday the British Government announced that it is changing our immigration rule. And there’s a few very strong rules coming in which will prevent immigrants entering the UK.
It’s very sad. My feeling is this is in response, of course, to American politics. As I’ve often said here on this podcast, our system, our government tends to mirror whatever’s happening in America, and it’s clear that what’s happening over there was somehow or other going to affect our British way of life.
That as well as the fact that we… we actually have other discussions on immigration happening here separately. I mean the bottom line is that they they want to cut down the number of immigrants. I don’t know anyone who actually agrees with that. I grew up in a time when we happily accepted people from around the world, especially from the EU, because we were in the EU and now of course, it’s looking like getting into other countries is easier than getting into Britain.
One of the main things that I’ve noticed is that we no longer want care workers. That was a big thing yesterday, so if you were using the care system and I’m not talking about nurses. I’m talking about people who work in our care and nursing homes. That was how many people got into the UK that’s now being stopped temporarily. I think they’re saying they’re pausing the entry of care workers and we have loads of those and I think around where I’m living. I can see that they tend to be African, so that will be stopped and the idea is that British people will be doing those jobs. I don’t know who thinks that British people will be doing this because, as far as I can see, younger people than me anyway, they they don’t want to be working…. likewise, I mean this this will also reduce the number of people working in my local supermarkets by about half. So who’s going to do those jobs, I wonder? It’s really very sad to see these changes. Because I’m not sure that the government realise how important immigrants are. Around different parts of the UK, our local garages and supermarkets are operated and in some cases owned by immigrants, so I don’t know what’s what’s going to happen, but it’s very sad. The whole thing is very, very weird. And as the opponents to this new law have said. Well, it’s just a matter of time before the government realise that it doesn’t work because we need people who want to do the jobs that British people don’t want to do. That’s quite simple. Yeah. So let me read this.
Extended path to settlements.
You have to wait 10 years before you can be considered for permanent residency.
Higher English language requirements
The government has raised the proficiency level up to B2, so you can no longer get in on a B1 exam pass. You need B2 now.
Skilled worker visas.
Yeah, this is changing. So they’re basically saying that to come to the UK now you need to have a university degree. OK. So any kind of skilled worker visa, you need a degree.
Restrictions on care worker recruitment.
I mentioned that… they’re pausing that. If you’re here at the moment, you can stay until 2028. Overseas applicants no longer accepted.
Students
International students have two years now to work after they graduate, rather than. UM. Oh, previously it was 2 years now it’s been reduced to 18 months is what I want to say.
Stricter deportation policies.
The new policy allows for the removal of individuals convicted of minor offences. Well, that’s mirroring America, of course.
And and just to conclude on that. It’s yeah that this is quite profound. You know quite a profound change to our immigration law. And it’s going to be a big shake up because it means (there’s) going to be virtually no one to look after our older people in nursing homes. So yeah, something has to change there. And of course it will. It’s only a matter of time before our governments reverse some of these points.
Other governments have tried it and failed. Uh, it’s just not workable. Yes. So the B1 to B2 is interesting, isn’t it? That you have to have a B2 pass level to enter the UK now?
I mean, British people have always been a little bit strange with immigration. My age group was better in that we were in the EU. We welcomed everyone, things weren’t perfect, but it worked. I don’t see anything wrong with that, but now there’s parts of the UK which are completely impoverished. And crime levels are high and if these crime levels are contributed to by people of other nationalities, it raises bad feeling. There’s been a few of those over the last number of years, but yeah, I think British people have always been a little bit strange with immigration. Anyway, it’s not something that’s that we handle very well, but exclusion is never the way to go.
I’m very sad about this. I love immigrants, I love diversity. And yeah, it makes me a little bit worried about living here. Because I… even though I am British, I don’t think of myself as British, my views of Britain and the British people are probably the same as those shared by immigrants. So when they pass laws like this, it makes me really uncomfortable because it’s like they’re attacking my friends. And I’m sure one of these days it’s going to go much deeper.
So I really really hope that they reverse this quite quick. It’s…. we don’t want to end up like other countries where you round up the immigrants and you deport them, which is currently I think what’s happening in in the USA, this is… this is dreadful. So it’s it’s really sad that Britain could even think about going in that kind of direction.
Having said all of that, though, I don’t think these laws will get through Parliament. I mean, they’ve been announced, they still have to be debated. I think in our upper chamber. So probably they they might be reduced a little bit. It’s before they become law and like I say, they they can’t last long because anything which excludes anything which deports, well, I’m sure that’s not going to last long, right…well, that’s it for me.
That’s a little introduction in to the new immigration system here in the UK. Very sad day, I have to say, but like I say, it can’t last long because British people well we really just don’t want to do the kind of work that immigrants do, so who knows what the future is going to look like without them, right.
See you all. Bye.