Highly Skilled Migrants Win Court Victory

In a recent ruling, Britain’s High Court stated that changes to the Highly Skilled Migrants’ Programme (HSMP) were unlawful and unfair, meaning a staggering 44 000 doctors, engineers and professionals will be allowed to stay in the country, after fears they might be forced to leave due to the new (now overturned) laws.

The changed to the laws stated that some of the migrants were not actually doing ‘highly skilled work’ (and this included doctors), so the 2002 programme that enabled them to move to the UK and settle there was now in danger of forcing them to leave. This, despite many workers moving their families to the UK and making a new home there.

The group that took their concerns to court, the HSMP Forum group, stated that the changes to the rules were “grossly unfair” and “a clear case of breach of legitimate expectation”.

Sir George Newman, High Court Judge, deemed it unlawful that the government changed the rules during the programme, and declared that the spirit of the original programme should be kept.

The Home Office is allegedly appealing the ruling, stating that only a little over 1300 people would be affected.