Please note that this piece reflects my own views and not the views of CityFALCON or any of its other stakeholders. Let me start with saying that I don’t mince words and I was never taught diplomacy in school. I’m content with my life in the UK. I’m lucky to be able to afford my daily meals, have a roof over my head, feel secure when I roam in the streets and have the world-class NHS to look after me. In fact, we in the UK live a luxurious life compared to the rest of the World. This could be fairer though. It’s a pity today to see that so many smart non-EU students, who spend a lot of money coming and studying in the UK, have to leave the country after their education. Several of my friends can’t move their jobs because they fear that they might lose their visa. Every time I did a visa application, it felt as if I was considered guilty and I had to prove myself to be innocent. 2006 was a boom time, and the UK Government had a scheme called HSMP, or Highly Skilled Migrant Permit. One of the categories provided a 3 year temporary residency visa if you completed MBA from one of the top universities in the World. The scheme was absolutely brilliant — it’s difficult to get into these MBA programs, so the country can acquire some of the sharpest minds around. For those who question what an MBA is a worth as a degree, my answer is “it depends”, but you can surely use MBA as a proxy for skilled labour that could move us forward. I sent my passport and MBA graduation certificate to Home Office, and received a 3 year visa within weeks. Easy-peasy! Most of us could have gone anywhere: the US, Canada, Australia, but I chose the UK. Apart from the HSMP scheme, I have always been in love with the UK. Yes, 150 years rule in India was painful, and I believe the UK should return the Kohinoor to India. But at the same time, I understand that it is history, it was a different generation, and we need to look forward. The love for Cricket and tea WITH milk, the abundance of “curries” (seriously, not every Indian dish should be called a curry), the evening walks on the bank of Thames — no other country even comes close to this. Above all, I fell in love with Oxford the first time I visited the city. There have been several reports about economic benefits that both EU and non-EU immigrants bring to the UK. However, the politics of immigration seems to override economics of at this point. immigration With an Indian or another “third world” passport, it hasn’t been easy to travel already, and you have to properly “prepare” before doing that I had to face several issues before getting the UK citizenship, and the UK passport opened the doors that would have been double locked with just my Indian passport. I’ve had to spend thousands of pounds to get HSMP visa, then renew it, then apply for permanent residency, then citizenship and finally the passport. For all my travels, I have to fill forms, apply to consulates and pay a lot of money to get visas. Moreover, even after having quality education and working for some top international brands, some countries would give me a single-entry visa, and at times, for 3 days max. Yes, 3 whole days! I’ve got a lot of respect for the US, because they perform a thorough check, but once they are satisfied, they give a 5 or 10 year visa. I’ve been stopped from boarding twice because of visa issues which led to big financial losses and more importantly stress and anguish. I’ve been stopped for hours at immigration borders. I usually ask people behind me in the immigration queue to join another queue. There was a time when I used to carry a file with employment agreement, invitation letter, payslips, etc. while traveling. Indians can’t take advantage of those early-bird or last-minute travel discounts, as we need visas for most countries. The problem of too many skilled and unskilled EU immigrants can’t have a solution of banning non-EU skilled immigrants Being in the EU gives the UK some benefits — free trade, lower bureaucracy for UK companies, Britons can work freely in the EU and buy houses in the South of Spain (so tempting!). Of course, on the downside, anyone can pack their bags and come to the UK for a better . Some amazing talent comes into the country but also people who want to take advantage of the social benefits. To compensate for that, the UK cuts down on non-EU skilled labour. How does that make any sense? future This policy means that UK is going to miss out on the skilled scientists, doctors, engineers who unfortunately weren’t born on EU land. We talk about equality, but even today the future for most people is dependent on where they are born or on their nationality**.** Non-EU immigrants do NOT get some social security benefits even though they have to pay into the pot You have to pay the national insurance and our taxes, but you can’t have “recourse to public funds” i.e. if you lose your job or suffer disability, you are not eligible for the same benefits as a EU citizen is. See the full list what non-EU resident people are not eligible for . here There are different types of immigrants For most people who aren’t happy with immigrants, their view is that most immigrants come to the UK for social and economic benefits. While there is some truth in that, there are many reasons why someone might try to come to the UK. Let me try and break the different categories down: . You have a house, family, good job, and suddenly you lose it all because of ISIS or any other calamity. I have a lot of respect for what the EU has done for people who have suffered so much at the hands of these terrorists while North America and Asia are keeping their distance. Refugees or those who need help Wouldn’t you do the same for yourself and your family? Those who want a better future for themselves and their families. (you may laugh, but it’s amazing how many stories I’ve heard of people moving after a breakup). Boy / girl issue People who want to exploit the social welfare offered by the EU. Skilled labour who can go anywhere but chose UK over other countries. UK is not doing anyone a favour by letting skilled labour in There are obvious benefits of getting smart people into the country, and the current immigration policies hurt not only potential immigrants, but also the entire country. We need them as much as they need us. A smart person with a computer can build a sustainable business today. Think about Mark Zuckerberg single-handedly building Facebook If they come in as students, they bring foreign exchange and support our universities and the industries built around universities. If the students can’t stay back and work in the UK after they earn degrees, most are not going to come to the UK to study in the first place. Shortage of skilled labour, especially in the tech sector, has lead to spiralling salaries and it’s not affordable for smaller companies to build a tech team here. We can’t train the next generation of students who could have picked-up necessary skills from smart people Visa restrictions are killing entrepreneurship Even after getting the visa, you have to keep complying with the requirements including minimum salary, time spent outside the country, and restrictions to move employers. This means that a smart person needs to stay in job and is incapable to take risks. Personally, I had to delay launching my start-up until I got permanent residency, or risk getting thrown out of the country. “Craziest immigration provision award” from me.. READ MORE
