ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of Highly-Skilled Pakistanis professionals and their families are calling on the UK government to restore their right to work and other benefits until an ongoing review into their long pending visa applications is completed.

Highly Skilled Pakistanis professionals were called their 4th protest to draw Home Office attention on 5th June 2018 at Old Palace Yard outside the Westminster Parliament, by all the ILR applicants and their families suffering with inhumane delays and who are impacted with disproportionate use of clause 322(5) of Immigration Act, this clause is designed to combat terrorism and should only be used in cases where an individual poses a genuine threat to national security.

The above mentioned clause has been used in recent past to somehow refuse ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) for Highly Skilled professionals “who studied from UK and worked in best industries of UK” and have been living here for decade. This really have had a devastating effect on social lives of families living here for number of years, some of them over a decade, their families have been contributing towards the economy rather being re-coursed to public funds, said a press release.

The UK Home Office had announced the review earlier this month after it emerged that around 1,000 doctors, lawyers, engineers and entrepreneurs from countries outside the European Union (EU) on a Tier 1 (General) visa were being denied residency rights over common, legally acceptable corrections in their tax returns.

In a letter to the House of Commons’ Home Affairs Select Committee last month, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that cases “falling foul” of the so-called Clause 322(5) of the UK Immigration Act which pertains to an applicant’s “character and conduct” have been put on hold until the review is completed. “We urge the home secretary to restore the work rights, allow affected applicants to travel to meet with their loved ones and access to health benefits of the applicants affected by this crisis while they await the outcome of the review. They have been undergoing immense hardship, which needs to be addressed urgently”, said Muhammad Afzal, the member of the Highly Skilled Migrants group. These migrants, most of them are from Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshi backgrounds.” —PR