South to get funding to help UK migrants settle
July 14 2009 by Mark Johnstone
UK visa for Isle of Wight
In an attempt to help regions in the south of England provide the right kinds of public services to help migrants move to the UK, £1 million in extra funding is to be paid to local councils.
The money is part of the extra £70 million being generated through the introduction of an additional levy on UK visa applicants. A total of £960,000 is to be received by Southampton City Council over two years, while Hampshire County Council will receive £190,000 and the Isle of Wight will receive £50,000.
Southampton plans to use its funding to provide English teachers for migrant children. Hampshire Council says it plans to spend the money on operating a new multicultural centre and will introduce a development worker to help encourage foreign UK visa holders to participate in their communities.
The Isle of Wight is to try to reduce pressures on accident and emergency and fire services by improving the information available to migrants on fire safety and about registering at GP surgeries.
Southampton MP, John Denham, says, “this fund is about taking steps to redress that balance and goes to support projects that are fair to the whole community. Funding will help reduce pressures on public services, maximising the benefits of UK immigration while minimising the impact.”
See the latest Immigration News
