John Vassiliou
@johnvassiliou.bsky.social
The only good bit. What a bore it was. CJ was there too at least, but he managed to sit off camera. This John Crace write up he shared with me sums it up www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
It’s a love-in at the home affairs committee as Yvette Cooper runs down the clock | John Crace
Forget tough scrutiny of small boats or asylum hotels – this home secretary appears to lead a charmed life
www.theguardian.com
June 4, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The only good bit. What a bore it was. CJ was there too at least, but he managed to sit off camera. This John Crace write up he shared with me sums it up www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
What do you think? Should we offer visas in exchange for investment? If you were in charge of creating an investor visa, how would you structure it?
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
What do you think? Should we offer visas in exchange for investment? If you were in charge of creating an investor visa, how would you structure it?
For example, it could go to:
- social care to improve availability and viability,
- a wide-spread series of pothole repairs or pavement resurfacing,
- a litter-picking/nature clean-up project,
- playpark and public park restoration work.
- social care to improve availability and viability,
- a wide-spread series of pothole repairs or pavement resurfacing,
- a litter-picking/nature clean-up project,
- playpark and public park restoration work.
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
For example, it could go to:
- social care to improve availability and viability,
- a wide-spread series of pothole repairs or pavement resurfacing,
- a litter-picking/nature clean-up project,
- playpark and public park restoration work.
- social care to improve availability and viability,
- a wide-spread series of pothole repairs or pavement resurfacing,
- a litter-picking/nature clean-up project,
- playpark and public park restoration work.
I would love to see an investment visa where there is a direct large lump-sum payment in exchange for residency with no financial return, where the funds are directly put to specified and publicly accountable/viewable locally-administered projects to improve citizen well-being.
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
I would love to see an investment visa where there is a direct large lump-sum payment in exchange for residency with no financial return, where the funds are directly put to specified and publicly accountable/viewable locally-administered projects to improve citizen well-being.
Rumours in Bloomberg today suggest a possible re-emergence of an investor visa, this time where money is channelled into "strategically important" areas such as AI, clean energy, and life sciences. It's unclear if investors would expect a return on investment or not.
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Rumours in Bloomberg today suggest a possible re-emergence of an investor visa, this time where money is channelled into "strategically important" areas such as AI, clean energy, and life sciences. It's unclear if investors would expect a return on investment or not.
Investors could simply park their money in an investment portfolio for five years, extract it (pocketing any gains), and secure indefinite leave to remain at the end. That version of the investor visa was abruptly axed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it's been all quiet since.
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Investors could simply park their money in an investment portfolio for five years, extract it (pocketing any gains), and secure indefinite leave to remain at the end. That version of the investor visa was abruptly axed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it's been all quiet since.
Until 2022 the UK offered residency for investing £2million into UK companies (including shares in an investment portfolio). It had long been questioned whether that policy was of any actual value to the UK.
May 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Until 2022 the UK offered residency for investing £2million into UK companies (including shares in an investment portfolio). It had long been questioned whether that policy was of any actual value to the UK.
From the 2009 article: “migrants will need to take extra steps to "earn" citizenship and become fully paid-up members of society.”
“Fully paid-up members of society” is a phrase that really grinds my gears. I’m sure we’ll see it rearing its head again soon!
“Fully paid-up members of society” is a phrase that really grinds my gears. I’m sure we’ll see it rearing its head again soon!
May 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM
From the 2009 article: “migrants will need to take extra steps to "earn" citizenship and become fully paid-up members of society.”
“Fully paid-up members of society” is a phrase that really grinds my gears. I’m sure we’ll see it rearing its head again soon!
“Fully paid-up members of society” is a phrase that really grinds my gears. I’m sure we’ll see it rearing its head again soon!
Unless of course the rationale is that after a decade of sponsored work and visa renewal fees migrants will no longer be “strangers”, instead having been ground down into the jaded and bitter ranks of their soon-to-be compatriots.
May 14, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Unless of course the rationale is that after a decade of sponsored work and visa renewal fees migrants will no longer be “strangers”, instead having been ground down into the jaded and bitter ranks of their soon-to-be compatriots.
That line of thinking really needs fleshed out and tested because it feels contradictory to the objective of not being an “island of strangers” to deny people an opportunity to integrate into life, free of sponsorship.
May 14, 2025 at 7:50 PM
That line of thinking really needs fleshed out and tested because it feels contradictory to the objective of not being an “island of strangers” to deny people an opportunity to integrate into life, free of sponsorship.
A gov source said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had for some time been concerned that under the current five-year process there is set to be a significant increase in settlement and citizenship applications in the next few years, reflecting the surge in immigration in the early years of this decade.
May 14, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A gov source said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had for some time been concerned that under the current five-year process there is set to be a significant increase in settlement and citizenship applications in the next few years, reflecting the surge in immigration in the early years of this decade.
Good summary! I’ll be amazed if this goes anywhere but let’s see…
April 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Good summary! I’ll be amazed if this goes anywhere but let’s see…
There will definitely be some. Would be interesting to see numbers by year and application type (I haven’t had time to search). My anecdotal experience is mk1 was an unknown, prompting many enquiries which didn’t translate into actual moves. Mk2 has felt very different. There is no unknown.
March 5, 2025 at 9:49 PM
There will definitely be some. Would be interesting to see numbers by year and application type (I haven’t had time to search). My anecdotal experience is mk1 was an unknown, prompting many enquiries which didn’t translate into actual moves. Mk2 has felt very different. There is no unknown.
This 2022 law change built on previous efforts (including a 2018 Supreme Court case I was involved in) to tackle discrimination in nationality law. Now the doors are open for people with UK-born grandmothers, or maternal grandfathers, to claim what should have been theirs at birth.
March 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
This 2022 law change built on previous efforts (including a 2018 Supreme Court case I was involved in) to tackle discrimination in nationality law. Now the doors are open for people with UK-born grandmothers, or maternal grandfathers, to claim what should have been theirs at birth.
British citizenship can normally only descend down to the first generation born abroad.
Before 1988 however, citizenship could pass down two generations abroad (known as “double descent”), but only through the male line.
Before 1988 however, citizenship could pass down two generations abroad (known as “double descent”), but only through the male line.
March 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
British citizenship can normally only descend down to the first generation born abroad.
Before 1988 however, citizenship could pass down two generations abroad (known as “double descent”), but only through the male line.
Before 1988 however, citizenship could pass down two generations abroad (known as “double descent”), but only through the male line.
Why is this the case?
Before 1983, *women could not pass on their citizenship*.
Whilst this changed from 1983 onwards, changes were not retrospective, so children born to British women abroad before that missed out.
Before 1983, *women could not pass on their citizenship*.
Whilst this changed from 1983 onwards, changes were not retrospective, so children born to British women abroad before that missed out.
March 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Why is this the case?
Before 1983, *women could not pass on their citizenship*.
Whilst this changed from 1983 onwards, changes were not retrospective, so children born to British women abroad before that missed out.
Before 1983, *women could not pass on their citizenship*.
Whilst this changed from 1983 onwards, changes were not retrospective, so children born to British women abroad before that missed out.
Who can now benefit?
Anyone born in a non-commonwealth country before 1988 (eg the USA), with a UK-born grandmother or maternal grandfather.
Many of my clients in this area are descendants of British World War II “war brides” who married an American soldier and moved across the Atlantic.
Anyone born in a non-commonwealth country before 1988 (eg the USA), with a UK-born grandmother or maternal grandfather.
Many of my clients in this area are descendants of British World War II “war brides” who married an American soldier and moved across the Atlantic.
March 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Who can now benefit?
Anyone born in a non-commonwealth country before 1988 (eg the USA), with a UK-born grandmother or maternal grandfather.
Many of my clients in this area are descendants of British World War II “war brides” who married an American soldier and moved across the Atlantic.
Anyone born in a non-commonwealth country before 1988 (eg the USA), with a UK-born grandmother or maternal grandfather.
Many of my clients in this area are descendants of British World War II “war brides” who married an American soldier and moved across the Atlantic.
Easy to attribute solely to politics, but article misses the perfect confluence of politics plus a major 2022 amendment to the British Nationality Act that laid the groundwork for foreign adults to register if they’d missed out due to historical legislative unfairness.
March 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Easy to attribute solely to politics, but article misses the perfect confluence of politics plus a major 2022 amendment to the British Nationality Act that laid the groundwork for foreign adults to register if they’d missed out due to historical legislative unfairness.
So well expressed, I doubt I’d be able to be that articulate off the cuff like that!
February 14, 2025 at 10:06 AM
So well expressed, I doubt I’d be able to be that articulate off the cuff like that!
