On the last Wednesday, a more than dozens of the South Asian highly skilled and talented migrants held and organized a protest outside the UK Parliament, said and claimed that they are being victims of the next Windrush scandal.
As per reference, this Windrush scandal is touted as the political scandal regarding and above the migration status of the Windrush generation — British African Caribbean people citizen in the UK.
The 400-strong combine of the professionals, ranging from IT consultants to mental health nurses, mainly Indians and Pakistanis, were complaint and protest against long delays in decisions on their applications for the imprecise leave to remain (ILR) in the nation, England and also this is having their applications turned down under Section 322 (5) of the UK immigration rules which branded them and named them as the “threats to national security” since of mistakes on their tax returns anyway.
Around, 23000 people, reportedly, have signed a petition, organized by the protesters, which addressed to UK home secretary Sajid Javid, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, which demanded an end to the “hostile environment” for immigrants.
In the pouring rain, some with babies in rainproof-covered pushchairs, mostly people were saying that they are keen to stay in the UK, and in no wish to go back their own country as they are more familiar with this country and job of the nation.
They also said on the basis of the refusal was “defamation of character” and this will stop them from getting a visa to travel to any nation in their coming days.
Carrying a placard saying “Tax correction is not a crime”, a man chanted “This is….” and the crowd replied “Windrush II”, followed by “What do we want?” “Justice.”
“I think it’s the same as the Windrush scandal”, said Hari Babu, 31, from Kochi, Kerala.
Babu lost his job as a global recruitment manager at menswear fashion brand Thomas Pink post his ILR was declined on 2017 on the basis of that fact that he had not announced the correct amount of income on an earlier tax return whilst he had run his own recruitment consultancy.
“They said I had underdeclared my income to avoid paying tax,” he said. And for that, he was refused under the clause Section 322 (5), which is normally used for criminals and terrorists. “I feel like this country has failed me. I was a higher rate taxpayer, I took zero benefits. I have never even been to the hospital. They are exploiting a loophole to meet deportation targets. Windrush is just the tip of the iceberg. There are huge issues going on in the home office,” he said.
