August 08, 2005
Strange usage of the word 'Asian' in Britain
Reports about ‘ethnic rebranding’, the wider use of hyphenated terms like Asian-British or Indian-British, reminds me of the strange use of the word Asian.
Asia starts in Turkey and ends in Japan, and yet here in Britain the term Asian is reserved for people from the sub-continent of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Why? What are the people of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand etc etc if they are not Asian? Reserving the term Asian for sub-continentals is equivalent to restricting the term European to the Italians.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4130594.stm
Posted by Simon Holledge at 10:17 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
February 09, 2005
Population decline and immigration policy
Hamish MacDonell and Gerri Peev’s article in the Scotsman highlights the lack of flexibility in London Labour’s new immigration policy.
Following the raising of visa renewal fees for foreign students (8 February), this is just another, larger, torpedo in Scottish Labour’s ‘Fresh Talent’ initiative to attract immigrants, stimulate Scotland’s economy and reverse the population decline.
Jack McConnell may have the right basic ideas, but he can’t deliver without cooperation from London. As Alex Salmond said, “It is time for Scotland to tackle its population crisis itself and for power to be devolved to the Scottish parliament”.
news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=145932005
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4242899.stm
www.snp.org/index_hires.php?pageName=news/newsdetail.php?newsID=2811
Posted by Simon Holledge at 12:12 AM | TrackBack
October 14, 2004
Population decline I: 'Fresh Talent' and foreign students
Scotland’s economic interests are different from those of Britain as a whole. Scotland’s uniquely declining and aging population is proof. If our economic policies remain subordinate to those of the United Kingdom, we can expect further relative decline in the economy, and absolute decline in the population.
Jack McConnell’s Fresh Talent initiative, involving two year visa extensions for non-EU graduates of Scottish universities is an excellent idea (see Gillian Bowditch’s article below), but can it work without a major reorganization of the way immigration is handled in Scotland?
A Scottish immigration policy requires a Scottish immigration service that is more accessible than the present organization, with offices in more cities (not just Glasgow), and an end to prohibitive charges for visas (a practice at some British embassies abroad) and visa renewals (substantial charges were introduced by the Home Office in July 2003 - after only 3 weeks notice!).
However the SNP should really be thinking beyond this. The universities are one of Scotland’s greatest assets. If would be good if there were more of them, offering more places, attracting more foreign academics and students. (Locating new universities in the north would also be a way of mitigating against population loss in particular places.)
Fees also need to be reduced. Charging non-EU postgraduates up to GBP 18,000 or 20,000 a year is counter-productive. Many students are deterred from applying and go to cheaper and more welcoming countries such as Australia or Canada. Those that do come are usually from rich countries and often have to return to them to recoup the investment made in their education.
news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1195282004
www.nusonline.co.uk/campaigns/internationalism/267898.aspx
Posted by Simon Holledge at 12:02 PM | Comments (2)