Press Archives

Monday 7 June 2004

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants response to press reports of Home Office policy on the Commonwealth Working Holidaymakers Scheme

Many people from black and ethnic minority groups will be concerned that the Government seems to be planning to target specifically black and Asian nationals from the new Commonwealth for alleged abuses of the Scheme.
Quotas on nationals of black and Asian Commonwealth countries, and new measures to restrict their entry, fly in the face of the Home Secretary's 2002 White Paper commitment to redress the traditional imbalance of the Scheme in favour of white countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

At a time when it is imperative to increase international understanding and co-operation from countries like Africa and India, the last thing the UK should be doing is deterring their young people from participating in a scheme which has the potential to foster these.

We will be seeking clarification from the Government about the real level of any immigration abuses. We will also be seeking assurances that this will not amount to discrimination against black and ethnic minority groups; nor that there are plans to further restrict the entry of black nationals in response to the current hostile climate towards foreign immigration to the UK.