Wimbledon Starts Today With The Help Of Migrant Workers

Cynthia Barker writes...Today is the start of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, one of the great British summer traditions, and the sun is shining! Let's hope it's a good omen for Andy Murray who is defending his Grand Slam title - tennis fans have been queuing for Centre Court tickets since Saturday!

Crowds of up to 40,000 a day will pack the All England Club during the Wimbledon fortnight and many will no doubt want to sample the delights of strawberries and cream washed down with a glass of champagne.

But who will be serving the food, pouring the wine and clearing up the tons of rubbish every day? You can bet there will be a high proportion of migrant workers, especially from Eastern European countries such as Poland, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Non-EU migrants have not been able to obtain work permits or UK visas for low skilled jobs for some time and students at private colleges are barred from working to support their studies.

Wimbledon is a prime example of a great world class British institution which would not function without willing migrant workers. Another is the NHS, which is now recruiting overseas to fill nurse job vacancies in UK hospitals.

Hey, Andy Murray has just won his first match in straight sets! Come on Andy!

If you need advice on any immigration matter, including overstaying your visa, EU or UK immigration law, or want to appeal against a refusal, call Cynthia Barker on 07850 307687 or 0208 731 5972 or email her your details to immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is a qualified OISC Registered Immigration Adviser, with 15 years experience in immigration matters, with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.

Filipina Care Worker Shown On TV Abusing Elderly Residents

Cynthia Barker writes...Sickening to see secretly filmed abuse of residents in nursing homes and, oh my god...one of the care support workers is a Filipina.

BBC's Panorama showed several carers mistreating, abusing and assaulting vulnerable residents in two large nursing homes.

Residents were filmed calling for help to go to the toilet for hours - whilst staff apparently watched the X Factor - and some were insulted, pulled about roughly and even slapped by aggressive car workers.

One of the workers featured, a Filipino called Lorna, treated frail patients with no regard for their dignity, calling one lady a "bitch", which is totally alien to the culture of care in the Philippines. It's a pity that one rogue can undermine the reputation of the thousands of Filipino workers in the UK who do a fantastic job.

The CQC, the body which regulates the care industry, highlighted staff shortages in one of the nursing homes, which does not surprise me. Nursing and care agencies now have to recruit staff from EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria, despite high unemployment in the UK.

Ever since the Home Office changed the Immigration Rules on work permits employers have struggled to recruit qualified care staff.

Proper training is clearly an issue, as staff are making basic errors and not following safe procedures, such as using a hoist. Care training, such as QCF (NVQ) diplomas in Health and Social Care and Apprenticeships in care, and ongoing mandatory training in moving and handling, are vital to improve standards in nursing homes.

If you need advice on any immigration matter, EU or UK immigration law, or want to appeal against a refusal, call Cynthia Barker on 07850 307687 or 0208 731 5972 or email her your details to immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is a qualified OISC Registered Immigration Adviser, with 15 years experience in immigration matters, with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.

Migration Routes to UK

Cynthia Barker writes...good morning all from sunny UK. Following yesterday's fantastic London Marathon a leading world ranked female athlete is 'on the run' (excuse the pun) after disappearing hours before her scheduled flight back to Sierra Leone.

Mami Konneh Lahun, 24, last seen after finishing the 26.2 mile race in 20th place, was due to return home today, but failed to show up for her flight home.

The London Metropolitan Police put out an appeal when the runner failed to return to her temporary accommodation  in Greenwich yesterday.

Although athletes are normally allowed into Britain to compete on a temporary visa, this would not be the first time that a competitor from a third world country has refused to return home and subsequently lodged claim for asylum in the UK.

Whatever the grounds for a asylum, the days when it would be relatively easy to arrive in the UK on a visitor visa, claim asylum and then stay here for years until the Home Office got around to looking at their case, and if refused (as most are) lodge a series of appeals funded by legal aid, are long gone.

The Home Office now 'fast track' claims within months, however, thousands of people have been granted a type of amnesty under the 'legacy' (or lost) cases, some of which had been hanging around for 10 years or more.

The 14 year 'long stay concession' no longer exists, which means an illegal immigrant or visa overstayer must wait 20 years before applying indefinite leave to remain (UK residency).

Migrants who manage to remain in the UK legally for 10 years, for instance on a student visa, can still apply for residency.

If you are considering coming to the UK, you can still look at Tier 2 work permit routes, Tier 1 highly skilled and entrepreneur visa or under a Tier 4 student visa.

Those with relatives who are UK residents or EEA nationals may have other options under family migration routes.

With a wide range of migration routes to the UK, it seems strange that many migrants still seek 'back doors' methods or pay thousands of pounds to traffickers to transport them halfway across the world on the back of a lorry.

If you need advice on any immigration matter, EU or UK immigration law, or want to appeal against a refusal, call Cynthia Barker on 020 8731 5972 or email her your details to immigration@londonccs.com.  Cynthia Barker is an OISC registered Immigration Adviser with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.

Unlike Other UK Migrants Football Managers Don't Have to Speak English

Cynthia Barker writes....good morning, just got back to the office from a breakfast networking meeting at the Laura Ashley Hotel in Elstree (not far from where Simon Cowell was brought up). Well, it's a very good morning for Chelsea fans who last night saw their football club reach the semi finals of the Champions league with a last minute goal against French side PSG.

Looking at Chelsea Football Club, made up largely of foreign players and their "special" manager, Portuguese born Jose Mourinho, it made wonder why so many clubs favour overseas players and managers over British born candidates.

There is no doubt that the British Premier League has benefited from the influx of talented - not to mention, fit - players and coaches, although some argue that the national England team (previous managed by two foreign managers) has suffered as a result of lack of English talent coming through the ranks.

But why are so many English clubs managed by overseas managers, when we have excellent British people to do the job? Is it because many clubs are now owned by billionaire foreign owners who simply pay the highest price to buy in overseas staff?

Ok, I'm no football expert, but you only have to watch post match interviews - zzzzzz- on BBC's 'Match of the Day' to see that hardly any clubs employ British managers anymore.

Arsenal, Fulham, Manchester City and Chelsea have not had an English manager for years. And Tottenham are rumored to be looking to replace Borehamwood born Tim Sherwood (who took over from their last foreign manager sacked a couple of months ago) with a Brazilian coach.

Some managers, such as Southampton's Argentinian born Mauricio Pochettino, can barely speak English and are interviewed with the aid of an interpreter!

The point I am making is you need an English language test to enter the UK as a foreign spouse, or on a student visa (even if you are coming here to learn English) or on work permit, or when you are applying for residency (indefinite leave to remain), but football clubs appear to be exempt from the Immigration Rules!

I should also point out that EU and EEA citizens have free movement within the European Union (apart from Croatia) and that English language ability does not apply.

Meanwhile, the NHS and care industry are facing acute staff shortages, with nursing agencies, such as Dolphin Care, unable to cope with demand for nurses and HCA's (Health Care Assistants).

The good news is NHS Trusts are once again starting to recruit qualified nurses from both the EU and countries such as the Philippines - so watch this space.

The fact is, the UK and especially London, could not run without overseas workers. Not just footballers on £200,000 a week, but nurses, doctors, IT workers and cleaners. My God, even Prime Minister David Cameron employs a foreign Nanny! So much for British jobs for British workers!  Ha ha! Get real politicians!

For advice on EU or UK immigration law, phone Cynthia Barker on 020 8731 5972 or email her your details and number – Immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is an OISC registered Immigration Adviser with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.