COUNTRY FACTSHEET: UNITED KINGDOM 2014

Transcription

1 COUNTRY FACTSHEET: UNITED KINGDOM 2014 EUROPEAN MIGRATION NETWORK 1. Introduction This EMN Country Factsheet provides a factual overview of the main policy developments in migration and international protection in the United Kingdom during 2014, including latest statistics. 2. Common European Asylum System The number of asylum applications in the UK rose slightly in 2014 to 31,945 (compared with 30,820 in 2013); however, the UK s share of the EU total was down from 7.13% in 2013 to 5.1% in Pakistan and Iran have consistently been amongst the top five countries of origin for applicants during the period ; however, in 2014, Eritrea emerged as the second highest country of origin for asylum applicants, appearing for the first time in the UK s top five since In 2014, some 35% of first instance asylum decisions were grants of refugee status, the highest proportion since 2011 and up by 1 percentage point since During 2014, the main developments have been the application of the recast Dublin III Regulation EU No 604/2013 from 1st January 2014 and impacts of the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of Tarakhel vs Switzerland 1 which concerned a challenge to the Dublin Regulation transfer of a family from Switzerland to Italy. In common with all other Dublin Units, UK must seek individual assurances from Italy as to the specific facility in which applicants would be held; the physical reception conditions that would apply; and the preservation of the family unit. In response to recommendations from a UNHCR report to ensure that evidence from dependants, including children is properly considered during the asylum process in family cases, UK guidance revised in relation to dependants and former dependants in asylum claims following consultation with UNHCR and other partners. Measures to improve the efficiency and quality of the asylum system included revision of the Age Assessment Joint Working Protocol. A good practice age assessment information-sharing pro-forma was also introduced and will promote effective sharing of the minimum required information between the social services (responsible for carrying out age assessments) to the Home Office. Ultimately, the measure will help to ensure that decisions taken by the Home Office following age assessment are lawful and appropriate. Revised guidance to asylum caseworkers on the assessment of credibility, was also published, and is supported by a dedicated training programme which began in In July 2014 the High Court of England and Wales found against the Home Office in a number of areas in relation to its Detained Fast Track (DFT) procedure 2, For this, asylum seekers are interviewed by the Home Office and a decision is taken as to whether a case can be fast-tracked while the applicant is detained. Whilst the underlying policy regarding detention in such cases was found to be lawful, changes were introduced to address the shortcomings identified, including the introduction of a guaranteed period of not less than four working days between induction into the DFT and interview. The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) Scheme was established in January 2014, running in parallel with UNHCR's Syria Humanitarian Admission Programme (HAP). The first beneficiaries were admitted in March 2014, based on the needs of the individual rather than subject to a quota. Cooperation continued with EASO, including the continued secondment of a staff member to the Asylum Support Team in Greece, provision of an expert for EASO s Expert Meeting on the Best Interests of the Child and the hosting of an EASO pilot project on joint-processing of asylum cases of vulnerable applicants. 1 Application 29217/12 2 This procedure was suspended in June 2015 Migration & Home Affairs

2 3. Unaccompanied Minors and other Vulnerable Groups The number of unaccompanied minor asylum applicants rose in 2014 to 1,860, representing an increase of some 33% since 2011 (when the figure recorded was 1,400). There were no significant developments in relation to policies / practices specifically focused on unaccompanied minors during European Policy on Legal migration and Integration 4.1 PROMOTING LEGAL MIGRATION CHANNELS There were no new developments in 2014 to promote legal migration channels; however, information for individuals on the various legal channels for migration to the UK continued to be promoted via the website Work continued with EU partners to prevent unsafe migration through effective practical cooperation with countries of origin and transit. New initiatives included participation in the Khartoum Process which steers the EU s regional dialogue with countries of origin and transit along the East African migratory route. 4.2 ECONOMIC MIGRATION A package of changes to the Points-Based System was introduced with the aim of improving flexibility for applicants from third countries and to boost economic growth. These included the expansion of the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) category to include the digital technology sector, simplification of the application process, and allowing time spent in other immigration categories to count towards qualifying for settlement. Under Tier 2 (General), the main category for skilled workers, five year grants of leave were introduced, increased from a maximum of three years, and scheduled updates to salary and maintenance fund requirements were also made. The numbers of sponsored visa applications for highly skilled workers increased by 16% in comparison with The Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) route was amended to make it more flexible and simpler to operate and the Tier 1 (Investor) route was reformed, doubling the minimum investment threshold from 1 million to 2 million. Facilitation measures for researchers sponsored to work in Tier 2 included waiving the Resident Labour Market Test in cases of return to work after periods of academic leave. Improvements in flexibility within the visitor route will enable scientists and researchers to make short visits to the UK to advice and share knowledge on international projects led from the UK. An Illegal working provision was included in the Immigration Bill (May 2014), which will increase penalties for rogue businesses and make it easier for legitimate businesses to verify individuals right to work. For developments to prevent misuse of economic migration channels please see section FAMILY REUNIFICATION During the reference period, Section 19 of the Immigration Act 2014 came into force, making clear the public interest (under Article 8) in family migrants being financially independent and able to speak English, as pathways to integration into society and to avoid the risk of becoming a burden on taxpayers. A minimum income threshold for sponsoring a non-eea national partner and dependent children under the UK family Immigration Rules was determined lawful following a Court of Appeal ruling (in the case of MM & Others). For developments to prevent misuse of family reunification please see section INTEGRATION Efforts to improve language as a key to successful integration continued in 2014, with funding committed to support 24,000 isolated adults to learn English over an 18 month period, targeting communities in specific geographical areas of need. From July 2014, changes were introduced under family reunification policies, requiring more visa applicants to meet the A1 level English language requirement, with the aim of improving integration by ensuring that more family members arrive in the UK able to speak and understand English, thus also helping to reduce translation costs for public services and local authorities. 4.5 MANAGING MIGRATION AND MOBILITY 3 The UK does not participate in visa facilitation agreements with other Member States nor in the borders and visas aspects of the Schengen acquis. To manage fluctuating migration pressures, temporary concessions to the immigration rules introduced in 2012 for Syrians currently in the UK permitting flexibility for extending visas, due to the conflict in Syria, were renewed until 28 th February EXTERNAL DIMENSION OF EU MIGRATION POLICY A Mobility Partnership with Tunisia, proposing contributions in the area of border management and document security, was signed in March. Following public consultations, new guidance for Money Service Businesses (MSBs) and banks operating in the remittance sector was developed by Her Majesty s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG), supported by an online e-learning programme. Globally, banks have continued withdrawing their services from international payment sectors where risks of money-laundering and financing of terrorism are detected and this has adversely affected international remittance payments to some 3 Managing migration and mobility refers to the following themes: visa policy, Schengen governance and border monitoring. 2

3 countries. A new project, the Safer Corridor Pilot, funded by the Department for International development (DFID) and implemented by the World Bank aims to improve transparency, auditability and security of UK-Somali remittances. The Pilot has facilitated ties with the Somali diaspora community in the UK and a community engagement strategy has been developed, aiming to share information on market developments and for the diaspora to convey their concerns. 5. Irregular Migration and Return Some 15,905 migrants were refused entry at the external borders, up from 14,910 in The number of migrants found to be illegally present in the UK in 2014 was 65,365, an increase of almost 14% since 2013, and over 20% since In relation to border control, the UK s biometric program was extended to include mobile centres in the 12 regions in China served by the UK visa application centres to allow the provision of biometrics in regional offices. New powers to search for and seize invalid travel documents, including cancelled passports, were introduced for police, immigration and designated custom officials. A new restraint system was approved for safely managing people under escort during immigration removals, including training for escort staff, both in-country and overseas. New cooperation measures with EU 4 and third-countries 5 to reduce irregular migration were also introduced. Several new measures were introduced to combat misuse of legal migration routes. Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) applicants have been prevented from relying on funds outside the UK, and a genuine vacancy assessment has been introduced for Tier 2 (General) and Intra-Corporate Transfer applications. Reforms to tackle misuse of the international student migration route, included improvements to make the student sponsorship system more robust. The reforms appear to have proved effective, reducing the numbers of student visa applications in sectors experiencing misuse (further education) by 25%. Reforms have prevented international students from transferring to Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) status whilst actually working in low-skilled jobs. Graduate entrepreneurs will also need additional evidence of their planned business activities. The Immigration Act (Part 4) 2014 introduced new provisions to tackle sham marriages and civil partnerships and to prevent participants from gaining an immigration advantage, to be implemented in New powers were also introduced to stop criminals using family-life arguments to impede removal. The UK has opted into the EU Readmission Agreement with Turkey which came into force in October THE FIGHT AGAINST FACILITATION OF IRREGULAR MIGRATION The UK Border Force has implemented a number of operations to combat clandestine and irregular migration activity. Developments included a joint initiative between the UK and French Governments to enhance security at the French Port of Calais, plus improvements in clandestine screening technology to detect concealments. The UK authorities are also working with representatives from the British and French road haulage industries to address this issue. 6. Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings The UK Government took the Modern Slavery Bill through Parliament during 2014 (it came into force in March 2015). The Bill aims to provide greater clarity to the law enforcement agencies tasked to tackle and punish perpetrators of the crimes of slavery and trafficking in human beings, and to improve support and protection for victims and also creates a new Anti- Slavery Commissioner. A modern slavery public awareness campaign was launched, providing information about the forms of modern slavery, how to identify and report a crime plus support available to victims, including a new helpline. The Home Department commissioned a review of the National Referral Mechanism, which will inform improvements to the consideration process and the support provided to victims. A project trialling Child Trafficking Advocates, aiming to improve the journey for vulnerable child victims through the criminal justice, immigration and social care systems, was implemented and will conclude in The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continued delivery of programmes to tackle trafficking in human beings overseas, aiming to raise awareness, support the reintegration of victim returnees, and lobby on the issue both at home and overseas. Initiatives have taken place with third-countries such as Albania, China and Vietnam and in cooperation with other EU Member States (Austria, France, Portugal, and Spain). UK authorities also collaborated in a European operation to tackle human trafficking from West Africa for the purpose of sexual exploitation. STATISTICAL ANNEX The Statistical Annex provides an overview of the latest available statistics for UK on aspects of migration and asylum ( ), including residence, asylum, unaccompanied minors, irregular migration, return and visas. Where statistics are not yet available, this is indicated in the Annex as N/I and when statistics are not applicable, this is indicated as N/A. 4 Bulgaria, Greece 5 Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam. 3

4 Statistical Annex: Immigration and Asylum in the United Kingdom ( ) 1. COMMON EUROPEAN ASYLUM SYSTEM Figure 1: Asylum applications as a share of the total population in the United Kingdom, EU average and EU high and low ( ) Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asyappctza), data extracted 20/07/2015 Figure 2: Number of asylum applications and as a share of the total number of applications in the EU ( ) Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asyappctza), data extracted 21/07/2015 Table 1: Asylum applications: Top five third-country nationalities ( ) Nationality Nr % of total Nationality Nr % of total Nationality Nr % of total Nationality Pakistan 4,095 15% Pakistan 4,970 17% Pakistan 4,725 15% Pakistan 3,990 12% Iran 3,165 12% Iran 3,265 11% Iran 3,075 10% Eritrea 3,280 10% Sri Lanka 2,190 8% Sri Lanka 2,175 8% Sri Lanka 2,310 7% Iran 2,500 8% Afghanistan 1,665 6% Nigeria 1,525 5% Syria 2,030 7% Syria 2,410 8% Libya 1,215 5% Afghanistan 1,355 5% Albania 1,670 5% Albania 1,890 6% Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asyappctza), data extracted 21/07/2015 Figure 3: Asylum applications: Top five third-country nationalities as a share of EU total per given nationality (2014) Nr % of total Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asyappctza), data extracted 21/07/2015 4

5 Table 2: Asylum applications - First instance decisions by outcome ( ) Total decisions Positive decisions Refugee status Of which: Subsidiary protection Humanitarian reasons Negative decisions ,970 7,240 5, ,600 15, ,045 7,850 6, ,160 14, ,570 8,550 7, , ,055 10,050 8, ,000 Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asydcfsta), data extracted 22/07/2015. Figures 4-7: Asylum applications - First instance decisions by outcome ( ) Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asydcfsta), data extracted 22/07/2015 Figure 8: Negative decision rate for the top five nationalities of applicants at the first instance in comparison with EU for the same given nationality (2014) Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asydcfsta), data extracted 23/07/2015 Figure 9: Third-country nationals resettled Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_asyresa), data extracted 23/07/ UNACCOMPANIED MINORS Figure 10: Unaccompanied minors applying for asylum ( ) Table 3: Unaccompanied minors ( ) Unaccompanied minors (total) N/A N/A N/A N/A Unaccompanied minor asylum applicants 1,400 1,125 1,265 1,860 Source: Eurostat Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex Annual data (rounded) [migr_asyunaa], data extracted 23/07/2015 5

6 3. EUROPEAN POLICY ON LEGAL MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION Figure 11: First residence permits, by reason ( ) 6 Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst), data extracted 25/08/2015 Table 4: First residence permits: Top five third-country nationalities ( ) USA 121, USA 132, India 139, USA - 136, India 119, India 105, USA 105, China- 73, China 62, China 68, Philippines 86, India - 72, Pakistan 52, Philippines 40, China 72, Australia - 19, Philippines 51, Pakistan 26, Indonesia 22, Pakistan - 17,008 Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_resfirst), data extracted 25/08/2015 Figure 12: Resident population of third-country nationals as a share of total population in the United Kingdom, EU average, EU high and low ( ) Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_pop1ctz), data extracted 23/07/ IRREGULAR MIGRATION AND RETURN Table 5: Number of third-country nationals refused entry at external borders ( ) Third country nationals: Refused entry at external borders 16,150 14,455 14,910 15,905 Found to be illegally present 54,150 49,365 57,415 65,365 Ordered to leave 54,150 49,365 57,415 65,365 Returned following an order to leave 53,600 54,180 54,960 48,890 Source: Eurostat migration statistics (migr_eirfs)(migr_eipre)(migr_eiord)(migr_eirtn), data extracted 24/07/ The UK does not have a residence permit database but provides estimates of third country nationals who are granted permission to stay in the UK. These estimates are derived from National Statistics data on passengers given leave to enter and supplemented with other management information such as visas issued and asylum granted. 6

7 Table 6: Third-country nationals returned ( ) Returned as part of forced Returned return measures voluntarily Returned through an Assisted Voluntary Return Programme ,666 26,209 3, ,994 29,547 3, ,066 31,735 4, * 8,963 25,815 2,403 Source: EMN UK NCP 5. SECURING EUROPE S EXTERNAL BORDERS Table 7: Number of visas issued by type ( ) * Total visas N/A N/A N/A N/A Schengen visa (short-stay visas) N/A N/A N/A N/A National visa 2,275,417 2,228,762 2,496,488 2,449,351 Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics January to March 2015, Visa table vi_04. Figure 13: Uniform visa applications received in the United Kingdom as a share of the total number of uniform visa applications in all Schengen states consulates ( ) Source: DG Migration and Home affairs Complete statistics on short-stay visas issued by the Schengen States Table 8: Top five countries in which the highest number of visa applications for the United Kingdom was lodged Country Nr Country Nr Country Nr Country Nr India 463,729 India 430,549 India 443,374 India 448,988 China 283,026 China 296,771 China 389,165 China 427,952 Nigeria 191,093 Russia 198,626 Russia 238,563 Russia 198,791 Russia 185,743 Nigeria 191,004 Nigeria 190,698 Nigeria 168,448 Pakistan 155,693 Pakistan 122,266 Saudi Arabia 114,652 Saudi Arabia 117,919 Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics January to March 2015, Visa table vi_ ACTIONS AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS Table 9: Number of traffickers arrested as suspects and traffickers convicted Convictions * N/I N/I N/I N/I Arrested / otherwise involved in a N/I N/I N/I N/I criminal proceeding Source: *EMN Annual Policy Report on Immigration and Asylum 2014, Statistic Annex 7 Data provided are top five nationalities from which the highest number of visa applications is received for the United Kingdom. 7

8 7. ASYLUM AND MIGRATION EU FUNDING SOURCES ( AND ) Table 10: Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) allocation to the UK in euro per area Areas AMIF Asylum 74,100,000 Legal Migration and Integration 74,100,000 Return 200,852,170 Technical Assistance 21,373,406 Special cases (resettlement/transfer) 22,200,000 TOTAL 392,625,577 Source: DG Migration and Home affairs Table 11: Internal Security Fund (ISF) allocation to the UK in euro per area Areas ISF ISF Borders 1,429,999,999 ISF SA Frontex 132,074,847 ISF SA Consular cooperation 14,481,563 ISF Borders Emergency Assistance 3,892,408 ISF Police 662,000,000 TOTAL 2,242,448,817 Source: DG Migration and Home affairs Table 12: SOLID funds allocation in euro and share of total funds allocated to the United Kingdom ( ) SOLID FUNDS TOTAL European Refugee Fund (ERF) N/A 9,169,710 (12.4%) 9,367,839 (9.5%) 10,724,670 (11.4%) 11,537,287 (11.7%) 13,539,829 (12.9%) 13,643,432 (12%) 67,982,769 (11.6%) European Return Fund (RF) N/A 7,640,786 (13.8%) 9,273,918 (15%) 12,844,301 (15.7%) 17,414,635 (16%) 23,792,029 (15.7%) 27,947,021 (15.9%) 98,912,690 (15.6%) European Fund for the Integration of TCN (EIF) 9,323,455 (14.4%) 11,570,479 (14.9%) 13,374,840 (13.7%) 15,138,594 (13.7%) 17,904,293 (13.6%) 24,283,908 (14.9%) 29,834,692 (16.2%) 121,430,260 (14.6%) External Borders Fund (EBF) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Source: DG Migration and Home affairs 8