Arts industry backs report into UK immigration restrictions

August 05 2009 by Mark Johnstone

UK immigration and the arts industry

A report suggesting changes to the points-based UK immigration system has been welcomed by arts leaders. The changes include measures to allow performers to work in the UK at short notice in “exceptional emergency cases”.

The report follows concerns voiced by leaders in opera, dance and music who claimed that performers were unable to gain work permits to allow them to work in the UK without very long, disruptive delays. They claimed that the delays resulted in performances being postponed or cancelled if last minute replacement performers could not be found, sometimes at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Now, the Home Affairs Select Committee has suggested that emergency exemption from the normal UK visa application process be introduced for performers needed at the last minute.

In addition, more biometric data collection points should be opened in countries such as Africa, where artists have to travel long distances to have their biometric information collected to obtain a UK work permit.

The director of the National Campaign for the Arts has now called upon the government and UK immigration officials to introduce the Committee’s recommendation as soon as possible.

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