Many Migrants will lose their right to stay due to the change in the immigration rules. TfL staff demand a revision to the skilled worker visa regulations.
Employees of Transport for London (TfL) have delivered a letter to Downing Street following the government’s denial of City Hall’s request to negotiate modifications to visas that would compel many to leave the nation.
The skills threshold for foreign workers has been raised, certain transport jobs have been removed from the list of “skilled workers,” and wage thresholds for visa sponsorship have been raised as a result of changes to immigration regulations.
For all 63 impacted employees—what they refer to as “a special category of workers”—the RMT union is demanding immediate transitional protection.
Sir Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, expressed his “deep disappointment by the situation” in a statement. “Net migration must come down” was said by the Home Office.
“Inhumane”
Outside Downing Street, RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey declared, “These are workers on permanent contracts of employment who were given every expectation they have the right to remain here in Britain.”
“We think it’s bad that they’ve started starting families here. Our purpose is to say, “This just ain’t cricket,” not to discuss the broader policies.
We’re advocating for an exemption because these people are decent people in a unique situation and we want them to stop and think things through so they can continue living their lives as they have chosen.
Avi Khera, one of the impacted employees, told the BBC Politics London program on Sunday that it was “a shock” to learn that the new regulations would force him to return to India.
He arrived in the UK three years ago on a student visa, but after landing a position as station personnel, he was able to apply for a skilled worker visa and stay for five years.
“I felt like we were being treated like garbage, trash, just to use us for those years and then throw us away,” he stated.
“We complied with all regulations and paid all fees, regardless of how onerous they seemed.
“Everything we owned back home was sold. We no longer have any ties. It felt cruel. We call this place home.
According to TfL, 61 worker visas are scheduled to expire within the next 12 weeks, but since employees are not required to disclose their visas to TfL, the actual number may be higher.
Up to 300 workers may be impacted, according to the TSSA union.
Seb Dance, the deputy mayor for transport, wrote to the government last month urging a halt to reforms that he claimed would have “operational consequences” for TfL and put many employees at “imminent risk of losing their employment and their right to remain”.
Mike Tapp, the minister of immigration and citizenship, responded that he “cannot commit to a meeting on this subject” on October 30.
Mr. Tapp stated in the letter that individuals entering the UK as students or through youth mobility programs should be informed that this does not ensure that they will find employment in the future or that their immigration status would be extended.
“Scandalous”
Sir Sadiq Khan was “deeply disappointed by the situation that TfL workers have been left in,” according to a representative.
These transport workers have put their lives in danger to serve Londoners during the epidemic and keep our capital city running.
The mayor believes it is unfair that present employees are being negatively impacted by visa changes, which puts them in danger of losing their jobs and their ability to stay in the UK.
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) union issued a warning earlier this year that over 1,000 prison employees—mostly from African nations—who had been sponsored by UK jails on skilled worker visas could be impacted by the changes.
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) union’s national chairman, Mark Fairhurst, claimed that the government was “pandering to Reform” and that the reform was “scandalous” and hurried.
“We need the staff they are forcing out of the country,” he stated. “We have written to ministers asking them to reverse this decision and give prison officers an exemption, but they won’t give it to us.”
According to the current procedures, those who are already employed in the UK on a skilled worker visa will be able to stay in their position and request to have their visa extended when it becomes due, according to a Home Office spokesperson.
Source: BBC