Fires started at asylum complex

Large-scale disturbances are taking place in the UK's largest immigration detention centre.

Police, prison officers and fire crews were called to the Harmondsworth centre, west London, in the early hours after a number of fires were started.

Last Updated: Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 11:34 GMT

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Fires started at asylum complex

Inmates were seen by TV crews taking aerial shots
Large-scale disturbances are taking place in the UK's largest immigration detention centre.

Police, prison officers and fire crews were called to the Harmondsworth centre, west London, in the early hours after a number of fires were started.

Detainees have been seen in a courtyard spelling out the word Help.

A prisons' watchdog report criticised the centre's regime this week after repeated disturbances there.

Detainees said they feared bullying, and staff were unaware of a special plan to prevent suicides.

The Home Office said it would draw up a plan to improve the centre.

In 2004 a detainee committed suicide, sparking a major disturbance that led to its temporary closure.

Since then, Harmondsworth has been at the centre of ongoing campaigns against detention of failed asylum seekers.

Workers from Bulgaria and Romania

The Government has announced that it will provide workers from Bulgaria and Romania with gradual access to the United Kingdom's labour market post-Accession. In order to do so, the Government will bring forward secondary legislation that will place restrictions on nationals of those countries? access to the labour market.

From 1st January 2007, as European Economic Area (EEA) nationals Bulgarians and Romanians will be able to move and reside freely in any Member State. They will not require leave to enter or remain to reside legally in the UK.

They will have a right of residence in any Member State for their first 3 months of residence on an unrestricted basis and remain legally resident in that state as long as they wish if exercising a treaty right as a student, a self- employed person, or if not economically active and self-sufficient . But they will not have a right to reside as a worker.

Bulgarian and Romanian Nationals wanting to work in the UK will still need to obtain permission to work before starting any employment. Full details on how to apply will be posted on Home Office website once regulations have been laid and agreed by parliament. Application forms and application guidance will be provided before accession on 1 January 2007.

Worker Authorisation Scheme

Workers from Bulgaria and Romania will, except where they are exempt from the requirement, must obtain a work authorisation document before they commence employment in the United Kingdom.

Those qualifying for such a document will generally be those skilled workers who meet the criteria for the issue of a work permit under the existing work permit arrangements.

However, work authorisation documents will also be issued to lower skilled workers coming to undertake seasonal agricultural work and employment in the food processing sector. Existing schemes for lower skilled work in these sectors will move to being restricted to workers from Bulgaria and Romania.

Immigration Minister announces new regime for highly skilled workers

The revised HSMP criteria will allow applicants to score points against the following criteria:

• qualifications;
• previous earnings;
• prior UK experience as a student or employee;
• age; and
• participation in an MBA scheme.
  

A mandatory English language requirement has also been added to the programme, when an initial application is made and again at extension stage, which applicants must pass if they are to be successful.