London:The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) – whose suggestions have almost routinely been accepted by the present Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in Britain – has recommended to the UK’s home ministry that a person from outside the EU should command a salary of between £31,000 and £49,000 per annum to qualify for leave of indefinite stay in the UK.
The proposal, if implemented, could drastically reduce the number of Indians who would qualify for permanent settlement. In the past, a person has generally been granted leave of indefinite stay after five years of residence. The MAC report says, “To ensure greater differentiation in the selection decision, we suggest implementing a minimum annual pay threshold. This could be between £31,000 and £49,000 per year.”
The number of people who became entitled to leave of indefinite stay in the 12 month period up to June this year was 60,000. This figure could reduce to 20,000, if MAC’s advice is accepted by the home office.
Reacting to the proposal, executive director of highly skilled migrant programme forum, Amit Kapadia said, “This is victimization of migrants. After letting them stay for five years and profiting from taxes, government cannot impose a new criteria to evict them.”
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