Cato urges Ghanaians to understand UK immigration rules

Accra, April 28 GNA - Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr Annan Cato, has asked Ghanaians to understand the new immigration rules in the UK in order to take appropriate measures to avoid embarrassment.

Speaking at a public forum in London on Sunday for Ghanaians in the UK and Ireland, he cited the case of Ama Sumani, a cancer patient who was deported to Ghana despite being gravely ill and has since died. Mr Cato said in his speech e-mailed to GNA by the Ghana High Commission in London that, since December 2006, the UK Home Office had adopted new immigration rules which made acquisition of migrant status harder for foreign nationals, lacking in requisite skills (as needed in the UK).

He said knowledge of the English language and the knowledge of the laws, custom and practices of the host country was required to be allowed into the country or to acquire legal migrant status in the UK. Mr Cato said the new immigration scheme known as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme was designed against the background of perceived uncontrolled migration which had brought about a huge influx of foreign nationals to the host country, with attendant pressures on services and facilities in the UK.

"The Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme is judged against a point criteria designed to reflect the likelihood of the migrant's success in the UK labour market," he said.

Mr Cato said the new system replaced the previous framework which was based on applicant's work experience, exceptional/significant achievements, and also on what the Home Office described as GP Priority Provision categories.

The new scheme focuses on age, academic qualifications, previous earnings and bonus points for previous work/study in the UK. It favours holders of MBA degrees from designated institutions. These requirements are to be taken along side other considerations in granting legal migrant or residential status in the UK.

"The ability to speak English to a required level will contribute greatly to the success of any application for residence. "Within the new scheme are rules relative to verification of documents. The Home Office has the prerogative to specify documents which applicants may be expected to provide and to refuse to consider applications when such documents are not provided.

"The Home office can likewise refuse applications where the applicant has provided documents which are not genuine even if they are not material to the application or to refuse applications which cannot be verified."

Mr Cato said under the UK Border Act 2007, foreigners were to be issued with identity cards and register their biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints in addition to other biographical information such as name, date and place of birth and nationality.

"It is intended that this process would begin in late 2008 and increased systematically. It is envisaged that by 2009/2010, 10% of all foreign nationals would be issued the identity cards rising to 90% of all foreign nationals by 2014/2015 according to Home Office estimates." Mr Cato said the 1992 Constitution had been amended to allow Ghanaians to have more than one nationality, but the law required that this was done according to the procedure set out in the regulations. On politics in Ghana, Mr Cato said the eyes of the whole world will once again be on Ghana during the December elections.

"Our major challenge is the coming national elections, but we are confident that this will be another unqualified success. Our national cohesiveness is improving and we are slowly becoming a more confident nation, at peace with itself, at peace with it neighbours, and punching above its weight in an increasingly competitive global environment.

"How we undertake this exercise will be a measure of our increasing maturity as a nation of laws, and of institutions, seeking to justify our reputation as the African success story," he said. Mr Cato said under the leadership of President John Agykekum Kufuor, respect for the country had tremendously increased.

"We are a haven of peace in a turbulent neighbourhood, and we have even become peacemakers with the help of our magnificent armed forces and police.

"The number of international conferences that have taken place and are currently taking place bear testimony to this. The number of foreign visitors to Ghana has increased considerably."