5040 x 3354 px | 42,7 x 28,4 cm | 16,8 x 11,2 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
4 maggio 2009
Ubicazione:
London, England, UK
Altre informazioni:
Strangers into Citizens calls for a pathway to give long term irregular migrants a right to earn indefinite leave to stay in this country. Current best estimates are that around 725, 000 people are currently living in the UK without a documented right to remain. They include asylum seekers whose cases have not been determined or who have been refused but have not been removed and those who have stayed on after temporary visas or permission to stay has expired. Strangers into Citizens propose that these 'undocumented' migrants who have been in this country for more than four years should be elegible for a two-year work permit. At the end of this they should, "subject to criteria such as an English language test, a clean criminal record and valid references from an employer and community sponsor" be granted indefinite leave to remain. Tens of thousands of supporters, mainly migrants, came together in a march to a rally in Trafalgar Square. Many of them had earlier been at religious services in seven different locations in London. I joined the mainly Latin American march at North Lambeth - it had started at the Elephant and it joined up with most of the rest of the marchers at Parliament Square. Speakers at Traflagar Square represented the huge range of support for the proposal from religious, political and trade union groups as well as various ethnic groups and migrants from a number of countries. The rally ended with musical performances and a lively troupe of dancers.
