Arab doctors protest UK immigration laws

New United Kingdom immigration laws governing post-graduate study are causing widespread consternation among Arab medical students seeking a British placement.

Under new rules and changes, which favour European Union and home-grown UK doctors, non-EEA (European Economic Area) graduates hoping to continue their training in the UK will have to apply for work permits rather than, as previously allowed, enter with a student visa. Foreign-born students who graduate from UK medical universities are also strongly favoured under the recent rules changes.

Under work permit rules, Arab students will only be offered a training placement if the hospital cannot find an EU doctor to fill the post. An announcement was made on 07 March of this year that a key exemption allowing foreign-born medical students to work without obtaining a work permit while training in approved programs would be rescinded, effective 03 April, 2006.