Immigration Solicitors

Essex County Council has called for the UK’s refugee commitment to be fully funded by government.

Speaking at a meeting of Full Council on Thursday (15/10/15), Council leader David Finch reiterated the county’s commitment to supporting the refugee crisis – but warned that government needs to ensure that long term funding is provided.

The government is currently set to provide funding to local councils for refugees for the first year of resettlement – but will not cover the full costs of service provision.

“The whole country has been moved by the images we have seen in the media,” said Cllr Finch.

“The scale and nature of this crisis meant we needed to act – and in Essex we are doing so.

“We are working with partners from across public, faith and voluntary organisations to ensure we can effectively and efficiently support the refugees that come to our county.

“It is important to remember, however, that this is not simply about providing refuge. These individuals and families will require ongoing support and services – and ultimately we need to ensure there is adequate funding in place.

“The government has indicated that funding for future years will be provided in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review – however, it is important that it covers the full costs incurred,” Cllr Finch added.

“We will continue to lobby for that, working with the Local Government Association and our colleague authorities.

“I want to assure the people of Essex that no services will be affected – and council tax won’t increase as a result of doing our bit to help the refugees.

“But it is important that we avoid an additional financial burden at a time of ongoing tough financial challenges in local government.”

David Cameron has pledged that the UK will accept up to 20,000 refugees direct from migrant camps on the Syrian border by 2020, with vulnerable refugees such as families, orphaned children and adults with disabilities or mental health conditions taking priority.

The first refugees from Syria have started to arrive for resettlement across the UK.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a fair and even distribution of refugees across EU member states.

However, at the weekend Hungary closed its border with Croatia to halt the increasing numbers of refugees making their way to Europe via Hungary.

The UK is not part of the Schengen area of EU member states with freedom of movement across borders without visa controls – and is not under a legal obligation to accept refugees who cross into EU member states and make their way to the UK.

In August, however, a survey from Ipsos Mori on global attitudes towards migration found that the UK was “more positive” than the US or Germany towards immigration – with three out of ten saying migration “benefits Britain”.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of immigration solicitors, able to advise migrants from the EU and non-EU countries on a wide range of immigration matters, including right to work in the UK and applying for work visas – as well as:

• Asylum in the UK and asylum appeals
• British citizenship
• Human Rights Act
• Illegal entry to the UK
• Marriage in the UK
• Modern Slavery Bill
• Right to work in the UK
• Spouse visas
• Student visas
• Visa overstays.

For expert legal advice on UK immigration law, call Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

For urgent help with immigration matters, call the Duncan Lewis Emergency Hotline on 020 7275 2036, where an accredited immigration lawyer is available 24/7.