Tens of thousands of visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria will now be forced to pay a 3,000 pound bond before being allowed to enter Britain. They will only get the money back when they leave the country, in a bid to end abuse of their visa system.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the intention was to make the immigration system more ‘selective’ and to stop people from overstaying their visit especially when their visa has expired. In the long-term, she hopes to extend the Australian-style bond scheme to also include foreign workers and students.

The idea will be welcome by backbench Tory MPs, who has been urging the government to take a tougher approach on immigration. But there are chances of it facing legal challenges on the grounds that- it targets only people from so-called ‘high risk’ countries –it is discriminatory. There are also fears that it may lead to countries such as India making British tourists pay similar bonds.

The scheme will be piloted from November, for people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana. They are being targeted because of their high volume of visitor visa applications and their high levels of abuse. Mrs. May said: ”In the long run we’re interested in a system of bonds that stop overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services.”

Immigration bonds have repeatedly been considered by ministers over the years, but have never been successfully introduced. The Labour Party abandoned its own plans for a 1,000 pounds bond in 2008 due to  an outcry from migrant rights groups. They claim the policy is discriminatory as it does not apply to people from countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Selective Committee, said the idea was unworkable and impractical. Mr Vaz, an ex-foreign office minister, claimed it would not stop people from trying to stay on after their visas ended, and said the targeted countries would likely retaliate.

The policy has the backing of Liberal Democratic Leader, Nick Clegg. He suggested the introduction of bonds in March, though was proposing the level should be fixed at 1,000 pounds. The move will require a change in the immigration rules but not a vote by MPs.

NYPD ARRESTED  ALLEGED KILLER OF A NIGERIAN NEW YORK CAB DRIVER.

The Police in New York City arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of a Nigerian cab driver in Brooklyn in downtown New York. Uro Ama Orji, 54 from Ebonyi, was stabbed in the eye with an umbrella on June 13 by one of the two passengers he was carrying. The suspect was seen running from the scene of the incident through security camera. The late Orji was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The suspect, named as Shamel Allen, 28, of Brooklyn, was charged with manslaughter and possession of weapon. He was accused of the stabbing of the deceased inside a cab in Brownville on June 13.

Orji’s sister in-law, Mrs Chinedum Agwu, described the deceased as ‘a hard-working Nigerian’ who had been driving cab since he moved to Brooklyn 10 years ago.

Olakunle O. Bolarinwa,

Is a Nightline Family Member Of The Voice Of America {VOA}.

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