Britain relaxes immigration policy: Lord Nazir

20 Feb, 2004

Lord Nazir Ahmed of the British House of Lords has said that Britain has issued its revised immigration policy introducing various relaxations.
Addressing the ceremony, arranged in his honour by secretary general Central Union of Journalists Ejaz Fazal Chaudhry here late Wednesday, the he revealed that the maximum relaxation has been introduced in the recently revised British immigration rules to enable the required qualified and skilled persons from abroad, including from Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, could be able to serve the United Kingdom in different positions by getting jobs against the required positions.
He said: "About two lakh skilled professionals are required from across the world in Britain in different fields and the work permits will be issued to the successful professionals without any discrimination.
He invited the qualified and skilled persons from Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to move ahead for enjoying the recently introduced job opportunities in Britain. He said that those qualified persons seeking to move to Britain should properly manage the documentation in the lines of the existing British immigration rules. He further said that the age limit for a visit visa has been reduced to 30 years.
Lord Nazir said that the recent visit of the British home secretary David Blunkett to Mirpur and Pakistan had yielded fruitful results. He said that in accordance with the assurance made by the secretary, the British High Commission would start receiving applications for visas of all categories by the end of May, this year.
DEEP-ROOTED TIES: He said that there were close interaction and friendly ties between the people of Britain and Mirpur.
These deep-rooted relations were leading to strengthen the already close friendly relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, he said.
He pointed out as saying that the Britain-based Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates have achieved unprecedented status in the arena of British politics. "For the very reason, the Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates in UK have the direct access, through their elected representatives, in both houses of the British Parliament."
Referring to the Mangla Dam raising project, he said that people of Mirpur were always prepared to give every sort of sacrifice for this project in the larger national interests of Pakistan.

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