So the government announced it was going to extend its cap to the student route. How and to what extend is yet not clear, but what is sure is that they rolled out the perfect narrative to prepare the British public to accept a move which could very severely damage a vital sector for its society and economy.

Teatro da curva, a Brazilian theatre group, deported from UK, although they had been invited to participate in the Camden Fringe Festival.

For those of you who read Portuguese, the original text can be found on the Blog post from August 18, 2010.

For the rest, here is my translation of their account:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11094468

Today, the latest figures were released on net migration to the UK. As the article shows, a lot lays in the interpretation and disaggregation of the data, but these figures will undoubtedly be used in the media and the governmental communication without a hint towards this in order to justify the plans they have already drafted for the permanent cap. An upwards battle, as during a consultation on the cap, we were boldly told the cap was going to be set at 100'000, and probably extend to tier 4 as well.

For some years I have been concerned with the rise of anti-immigrant, anti-muslim, anti-'any other which isn't quite like us' (whatever like us means) feelings across the European continent. Far right political movement in several countries have secured political recognition and influence for some time now (Austria, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium) and officially center right ones have reccurently lapsed into bouts of extremism (Switzerland, Poland, Spain).

An article in the Independent warned that the Home Office's interim cap, and the final cap could have detrimental consequences on public services, and namely one of its most decried, vulnerable and crucial department, social services.

Following fears within his cabinet over the cap, and complaints by Indian partners that the immigration cap could damage relations between the countries, as well as deter aspiring highly-skilled migrants, David Cameron has declared today that he would offer the Indian government a direct say into British immigration policy. He recognised that times had changed from an era when Great Britannia and Europe could set the pace of the world, to one where the BRIC countries have to be given increasing consideration and power.

In an audio documentary produced by the BBC last month investigating the abuse of domestic workers in the UK, it was shown that a large number of cases happen within the homes of diplomats, most foreign and therefore granted diplomatic immunity. This makes prosecution extremely difficult, as any legal procedure must first get the assent of the FCO, which in turn must contact the authorities of the country in question. Police are therefore reluctant to even investigate claims of individuals, even though they are perfectly allowed to do so even without permission by the FCO.

The Guardian reported yesterday how the government's seduction attempt towards Indian businessmen and highly skilled workers is being undermined by their strict immigration policy. Cameron'sIndia trip and declaration that "Britain is open for business" is causing turbulence and attracting criticisms.

The UK High court has ruled that it is unlawful to use fast-track deportations to remove asylum seekers having failed to secure asylum status. These procedures have been deemed Unlawful deportations

so the government announced that it was indeed going to impose a cap on migrant numbers to the UK, firstly an interim one until public consultation had enabled it to set final numbers for each route. This cap is to be introduced on top of the Points-based immigration system (PBIS), which has been in full action since march 2010.

Here are the links to the official documents regarding the cap on international migrants, superimposed onto the PBIS.