Changes to the Immigration Rules and the right to respect for private and family life - #Act now!

The Government is changing the Immigration Rules to define the conditions in which the right to respect for private and family life (“Article 8”) will apply in all family migration cases (not only cases of deportation of those convicted of crime, as the issue is often presented).

The Immigration Rules will take effect on 9 July 2012 without requiring the express approval of Parliament. In a highly unusual move the Government did table a motion for the 19 June 2012 on Article 8, giving MPs and interested organisations just four working days to consider these complex matters before asking them to “approve” the Rules. However, parliamentary officials made it clear that motion had no legal effect on the Rules.

Confused? Many of the MPs during the debate were and there continues to be confusion about the precise impact of the motion. You can read our briefing here to unpick some of these issues and to find out why you should be concerned.

The Immigration Rules will become law on 9 July 2012. BIHR has serious concerns about the effect of the Immigration Rules on our right to respect for private and family life, and we are especially worried about the impact on children.

So now is the time to #Act! You can:

• Distribute this briefing to your networks, contacts and members
• Raise this issue on your websites, newsletters, and blogs
• Tweet the briefing and re-tweet BIHR’s posts

And you can join us in supporting an afternoon of action being organised by the Migrant Rights Network and JCWI on Monday 9 July:

• Join a public demonstration outside the Home Office in Marsham Street, London from 4.30-5pm
• Write your MP and arrange to meet them in the Central Lobby of Parliament 5.30 – 6.15pm
• Attend a meeting in Parliament “The new family migration rules: dividing families, disrupting integration” from 6.30pm

For more information and to register for the event in Parliament visit: http://bit.ly/LwJ2l5

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