Social Progress Party
Politics to serve all of society, not just the wealthy and powerful.
Immigration
Underlying Principles:
Individuals genuinely fleeing life threatening persecution or war must always be given care and refuge.
Economic immigration is in many cases a healthy influence on the UK economy, however this must be controlled to the extent that we have the infrastructure and capacity to support it.
Immediate family of existing immigrants should be given priority, provided that the existence of these family members was declared at the point of initial application by the existing immigrant.
Policies
Specify and publicise safe routes for refugee-based immigration in discussion with neighbouring countries and other main historic sources of UK immigrants. Establish international vetting processes for economic immigrants, so that approval can be obtained before travel.
o Reduce the demand for illegal immigration routes which are unsafe and fund criminal gangs.
o Ensure that potential new residents are treated with courtesy and respect as they pass through the process.
Speed up claims processing.
o Reduce the length of time that applicants remain in limbo awaiting decisions.
o Reduce demand for temporary housing for those awaiting processing.
Provide greater support and incentives for integration and assimilation, including settlement assistance and cultural & language education.
o This allows for easier integration and understanding of different cultures and helps new arrivals to understand the UK’s cultural and social expectations that may clash with their own.
o Reduce friction between existing UK citizen and new arrivals.
o Reduce isolation or withdrawal of distinct nationalities, religious groups or cultures from UK society.
Restrictions on ability to claim benefits for new arrivals with existing resources and/or support networks, assessed as part of their application process, and a factor in the likely granting of their application.
o Reduce perception of favourable treatment of immigrants by UK population.
o Reduce strain on UK public services.
o Discourage applicants mainly motivated by superior state benefits.
Fund for asylum seekers and refugees who arrive with no support or resources.
o Vulnerable people who have lost so much should be treated with kindness and respect, and clothed and housed as quickly as possible.
o Their status does not preclude them from being highly educated or skilled, and connecting them to appropriate opportunities can help them settle and flourish, as well as benefitting the UK economy.