Week of November 8–14, 2022

The UK Labour party is reportedly considering proposals to introduce identity cards to help count the number of people in Britain and reduce irregular immigration. Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock has suggested the party may require everyone to apply for registration, but the amount of data stored would be limited. The suggestion comes two decades after the party’s previous attempt to introduce ID cards was mired in controversy over links to state entitlements and civil liberties objections. Although legislation for compulsory ID cards was passed in 2006, it was subsequently repealed by the Conservative-Liberal coalition in 2010. However, Kinnock has argued that almost every EU member state has some form of identity scheme, and that the UK should be able to devise one too.

The New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP), a joint project between the federal and provincial governments, has been launched to address critical worker shortages in the province. The pilot will provide economic immigration to New Brunswick and will also guarantee settlement services, including skills and language training, for newcomers. This is a step towards addressing labour shortages and retaining newcomers in the province. The NBCWP will work with six selected employers in New Brunswick who were chosen for their impeccable track record in the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), good immigrant recruitment practices, and necessary settlement programs in place. As part of their participation, these employers must provide comprehensive human resources planning for recruiting and hiring skilled international talent, up to 200 hours of language training, and guidance and support to candidates who may wish to pursue their Canadian secondary education equivalency. The five-year pilot program will be monitored and evaluated regularly to remain responsive to immigration needs and deliver the desired outcomes for the province.

Texas State Representative Geanie Morrison has outlined her legislative priorities for the upcoming session, with a focus on higher education, immigration, and rural communities. On the higher education front, Morrison plans to revise the state's community college funding structure and increase financial aid for students. She also hopes to expand courses and funding for the University of Houston-Victoria. Morrison stated that efforts around rural broadband are "going really well" and expects a "really good plan" to address issues with electric generation in the state. Border security is also a "huge priority" for Morrison, who noted that Texas has invested heavily in the area. Morrison was formally reelected to the Texas House of Representatives in an unopposed general election. The GOP retained control of the Texas Legislature following the election.

The Inflation Reduction Act could provide more non-citizen immigrant workers and entrepreneurs with the opportunity to pay into the US tax system, improving tax collection and facilitating better delivery of targeted, anti-poverty benefits to eligible households, boosting economic growth and productivity. However, the act requires a portion of the new funding allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be deployed to enable non-citizen workers and entrepreneurs to fulfill their lawful taxpayer obligations. This would be done by prioritizing the administration of Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs) — a nine-digit number that allows certain non-citizens to comply with their taxpaying obligations. By decreasing the barriers to the use of ITINs in tax filings, the IRS can advance economic prosperity for and by immigrants and in the US economy more broadly. Despite challenges in acquiring ITINs, it is estimated that tens of millions of returns are filed by primary taxpayers with ITINs, reflecting billions of dollars of revenue added to federal coffers.

The Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the suspension of Tourist/Business Visitor Visas for Indian nationals until further notice, with the exception of those who require a tourist visa to enter Panama to apply for a dependent residence permit in the country. Such individuals must apply for the visa directly at the National Immigration Service's office in Panama City through an authorized attorney. The ministry has not announced when the suspension will be lifted. However, certain Indian nationals may still be able to enter Panama visa-exempt if they hold an eligible visa or immigration status from another country, such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, or an EU Member State. These visas or permits must have been used at least once to enter the issuing country and be valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry into Panama.

Australia's Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, will appear before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva next week to evaluate how well Australia adheres to its international obligations under the UN's Convention Against Torture (CAT) and its Optional Protocol. During the three-day hearing, Finlay will raise concerns about the treatment of detainees in various facilities, including juvenile and immigration detention centres, prisons, and healthcare and aged-care facilities. She will also draw attention to laws and policies that negatively affect people's rights, health, and safety. The Commissioner will emphasise Australia's compliance with OPCAT, a UN treaty that provides independent oversight of detention centres, and raise concerns about the suspension of a recent UN OPCAT inspection team visit. The submission to the Committee includes 44 recommendations and raises other issues, including human trafficking, counter-terrorism legislation, and violence against women and children. The Committee will release its observations in December.

A network of multilingual volunteers in southern Maine is helping new immigrants navigate the public transportation system, making it easier for them to get to appointments and run errands. The initiative was founded by a man who recognized that navigating any public transportation system in the U.S. can be confusing and intimidating, especially for new immigrants. The service connects families, primarily from Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to Portland, where they can access social services, African grocery stores, and medical facilities. The new bus route is meant to provide easier access to these essential services for immigrant families who might otherwise struggle with transportation issues.

With 22 House races still undecided, the Republican party is seven seats away from taking control of Congress’s lower chamber from the Democrats. If they manage to do so, they will be able to curb President Biden’s legislative agenda for the next two years, reduce his spending, and scrutinize his administration, family, and himself. Immigration and border security are likely to be the main concern of the Republican party if they win the elections. They are expected to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and construct a border barrier. The Republican party will also investigate Hunter Biden's foreign dealings. The new Republican delegation is likely to be more moderate than most base Republicans would prefer, and they will need to cross off extravagant items on their congressional wish lists. However, their investigation of Hunter Biden's dealings will continue as planned.

The children of migrant workers who went to Switzerland over several decades are demanding an apology for a policy that they say destroyed families and left many traumatised. Hundreds of thousands of workers, from Italy, Spain, Portugal and what was then Yugoslavia, journeyed to Switzerland from the 1950s up until the 1990s to work in factories, on roads and building sites, in restaurants and hotels. They were given nine- or 12-month permits and many lived in barracks, with no family members allowed. Egidio Stigliano remembers being taken at the age of three by his grandmother to wave to a train leaving Italy for Switzerland. His mother was on the train but he didn't know that. Melinda Nadj Obonji was just one year old when she and her older brother were left with their grandmother in Serbia.

Jorge Barón, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, is stepping down in June after growing the organization to one of the US's largest immigrant legal service providers. Speaking on the implications of the midterms for immigration policy, Barón believes that, given an expected change in party control in Congress, there is a limited prospect of compromise and change in the next two years. He also expressed concerns for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program recipients, as the Republicans may use them as bargaining chips to dismantle asylum protections or change family-based immigration policies. Barón attributed the damage of the Trump era to the Republican Party, which turned to a "super anti-immigrant" approach, seeing it as a winning strategy.