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February 2009

26.02.09

English journalist challenged by UKBA website

One of their journalists, John Ledger, had set out to find the answers to what he thought were three straight forward questions: How does the points-based system for UK visas work? How many points does a rugby player need to be granted a visa? And is there a sliding scale of points deductions for criminal and civil offences? His research stemmed from the recent refusal of UK visas to several Aussie rugby players including Greg Bird and Michael Crocker.

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24.02.09

UK to tighten Points Based System

In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday, the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, suggested the UK Government will introduce even tougher measures for non-EU migrants to enter the UK under Tier 1 of the new points-based system (PBS).

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23.02.09

Visa road-blocks for South Africans

Since the UK Home Office announced that South Africans will face stricter immigration rules to cross its borders and will need a visa to travel to the UK, The Smooth Group has been inundated with phone calls. Many South African nationals living in the UK are unsure about what these new rules mean for their families who would like to visit them.

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18.02.09

UK promises visa flexibility for South Africans

MediaClubSouthAfrica.com has reported that British High Commissioner, Paul Boateng, has offered his assurances to South Africans that the UK Governemnt will do its utmost to be accomdating and flexible with regards to stricter visa rules.

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16.02.09

Aussies welcome UK visa clampdown

The Press Association has reported that the clampdown on overseas players gaining entry visas to play in the UK's Super League has been welcomed by Australia's National Rugby League (NRL).

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10.02.09

South Africa faces new visa rules

BBC News has reported that nationals from South Africa, along with Bolivia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Venezuela, will need a visa to visit the UK from March 2009.

Under the new rules issued by the homes office, nationals from these countries will now need to provide fingerprints and pay a fee to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK.

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09.02.09

Two hundred illegal workers ‘quietly sacked’ from Olympic site

The Independent has reported an allegation from an unidentified senior source that 200 Romanian construction workers from the 2012 Olympic Park site have been "quietly sacked" in the past two months during a clampdown on illegal foreign labour.

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05.02.09

Prove your worth as a British citizen

Non-EU migrants wishing to settle in the UK will now face a set of tests in order to earn their citizenship and whereas currently anyone who has lived and worked in the UK for five years can apply for settlement, immigrants could have to wait up to ten years to become British citizens.

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January 2009

22.01.09

Crackdown on illegal immigrants

Wolverhampton.co.uk has reported a string of raids on motorway service stations recently carried out by Border police. Teams of officials have been scouring lorry parks in the West Midlands hoping to detect stowaways.

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16.01.09

The Smooth take on recent UK immigration stories

Migration Watch UK made a recent post on their news blog stating that UK immigration is out of control and that the new Points-Based System (PBS) will not keep the UK’s population below 70m as promised by the UK Government.

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14.01.09

Primark 'sweatshop' claims

Manchester Evening News revealed on sunday that TNS Knitwear, a Manchester-based fashion factory that supplies Primark with 20,000 garments every week, was accused of employing illegal immigrants and paying them just over half the current minimum wage.

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08.01.09

Calling all employers...come to our seminar!

Anyone who employs non-EU migrant workers will want to attend the 15 January seminar by immigration experts The Smooth Group.

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