The Latest News on Brexit, Immigration Rules and Best Expat Cities
Ireland; UK
Right of Irish citizens to work in UK despite Brexit guaranteed
This bill provides certainty and clarity for Irish citizens on their rights to enter and live in the UK
The UK government has published a bill guaranteeing the right of Irish citizens to travel and work in the UK without restriction, despite Brexit.
British immigration minister Kevin Foster said that “this bill provides certainty and clarity for Irish citizens on their rights to enter and live in the UK, reflecting the reciprocal arrangements for British citizens in Ireland”.
The draft legislation says “an Irish citizen does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom”.
Both the Irish and British governments have repeatedly stressed that they wanted to preserve the Common Travel Area, which has been existed since 1922.
But legal experts have warned that additional legislation may be required to guarantee Common Travel Area rights.
Read more on www.thejournal.ie
China
China’s Plan To Relax Immigration Rules Spurs All Sorts Of Hateful Comments From Nationalistic Chinese
I don’t wanna see China becoming a country like America in hundreds of years, a place where people of different colors live together
In an effort to attract more highly skilled migrants, the Chinese Ministry of Justice has unveiled a new set of rules designed to expand the circle of foreigners with the right to permanent residence in the country. The proposed bill, which is currently at the stage of seeking public opinion, has been met with fierce opposition, backed by a string of extremely deplorable views such as racism, xenophobia and misogyny.
What’s new
- While current requirements restrict foreigners with the right to permanent residence to those who have already lived in China for at least four years, the new rules will also allow some foreign specialists, such as highly skilled workers in certain areas and senior managers in high-tech Chinese enterprises, apply without prior experience living in the country.
- Foreigners who previously spent time in China and currently reside elsewhere can also apply if they meet a specific set of salary or education requirements, for example, a master’s degree from a renowned international university or earning a salary at least six times the city average.
The new rules will not “open gateways” for immigrants. But regardless of the actual impact of this event, the news caused a storm of angry publications on social networks, which gave impetus to the most rude racist and xenophobic sentiments.
“I don’t wanna see China becoming a country like America in hundreds of years, a place where people of different colors live together. I hope that China’s territory only welcomes pure Chinese people to reside. We Huaxia people share a strong sense of patriotism. When one is in trouble, others feel obligated to help out,” a Weibo user wrote (in Chinese). He added that if the workforce is severely depleted, China should completely abandon its family planning policies in order to increase the birth rate instead of easing immigration restrictions.
The widespread xenophobia on the Chinese Internet didn’t appear out of nowhere. As a homogeneous country that flourishes thanks to a strong, and sometimes aggressive, sense of national identity, China has traditionally been hostile to external influences at the political level and does not welcome immigrants. Even under the proposed rules, China does not offer a path to citizenship. In practice, the main advantage of Chinese green cards is a long stay compared to work visas.
World
Best expat cities aren’t the best for every expat
The Swiss city of Bern and the Danish Copenhagen took first place together, and Edinburgh became the best UK city
For potential expats wishing to relocate, a growing number of contrasting “the best city” polls can be confusing!
In the most recent study conducted by ECA International, thousands of expatriate opinions were collected on various places around the world. For the second year in a row, the Swiss city of Bern and the Danish Copenhagen took first place together, and Edinburgh became the best UK city for the life and work of immigrants. It is not surprising that London fell to 47th place due to environmental pollution and fears for personal safety.
Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast shared London’s lack of liveability for the same reasons, as well as the threat of a terrorist attack, which gave even more reasons for talented British to try their luck elsewhere on the planet. Generally speaking, those who want to work or retire abroad may well enjoy life in the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, or Germany, unless endless summer is a prerequisite.
Read more on www.emigrate.co.uk
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