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U.K. migrant tax faces opposition

LONDON: The British government’s move to impose a tax on new migrants from outside the European Union has been described as “punitive taxation” by migrant groups.

The proposed tax is meant to make the migrants pay for public services such as schools and health services till they become full-fledged citizens.

However, rights campaigners on Friday said there was no justification for slapping an extra levy on migrants as they already paid for public services through national insurance contribution and income tax. They called the move “discriminatory” and threatened legal challenge if it was pushed through.

The BBC reported “accusations” that migrants who were net contributors to the economy would become “cash cows” and be denied “reasonable rights”.

The government hopes to raise an estimated £15 million through the proposed levy, dubbed the “migrant tax”. The money would go into a “British Trust Fund” to be set up to help service providers meet the additional financial burden.

The proposal is part of a major shake-up of Britain’s immigration rules aimed at restricting immigration to only highly-skilled workers.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith defended the changes saying that migrants must “earn” the right to live and work in Britain.

Tories called them a “gimmick” and reiterated their demand for an annual cap on the number of foreigners allowed to come to Britain.

There was also criticism of the move to abolish “ancestry” Commonwealth visas with critics accusing the Government of showing “contempt” for Britain’s historic association with Commonwealth countries.

Under the “ancestry” visa scheme, citizens of certain Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, have an automatic right to live and work here if they have an ancestral link to Britain — for example if their grandparents were born in the U.K.

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