Immigration Fees Campaign

Press Release - Wednesday 8 September 2004

Comment on proposed immigration fee increases

JCWI Chief Executive Habib Rahman said:

"We agree with the Minister that the beneficiaries of immigration should pay - and as far as we're concerned a major beneficiary is UK economy. Only earlier this week the Minister admitted that low-skilled migrants are making restaurant service and clean offices possible.

"If it is intended to levy the charge directly on individuals then low-skilled immigrants would be penalized most by fee hikes.

"They often come from developing countries who benefit more
from the salaries sent home by migrant workers than from
overseas aids budgets.* It doesn't make sense for the UK to
campaign to reduce the debts of these countries, only to hit their migrant workers with increased immigration charges."

* Report of Parliamentary International Development Committee in July. Official remittances by workers to their countries of origins are worth $100 billion compared to $70 billion overseas aid to developing countries from developed country governments.