(Glasgow Central)
(SNP): May we have a debate on UK visa policy and its
negative contribution to the UK economy? In 2014, two of my
constituents, Dhruv Trivedi and Vandana Pillai, who originate
from Mumbai in India, were brought over as part of the UK Trade
& Investment Sirius programme under tier 1 graduate
entrepreneur visas. They set up their own business and became
part of Entrepreneurial Spark and Scottish EDGE, and they have
raised significant funding for their company. However, all that
has recently been put at risk by the UK visa and immigration
system. They have had their tier 1 entrepreneur visas rejected on
a technicality, putting at risk all they have worked for, the
investment they have secured, and the Government’s commitment to
them by bringing them here in the first place. They currently
have no valid leave to remain. May we have a debate on this
important subject? It makes no sense to bring people over here to
be part of the economy and to contribute, but then to kick them
out.
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr David
Lidington): If the application was rejected on a
technicality—clearly I do not know any of the details of the
case—I would hope it would be possible to find a remedy via the
Home Office system. In any visa system there has to be a balance
between getting the brightest and the best in the world to come
here to take job opportunities and study, which we all want to
see, and at the same time ensuring that we have proportionate and
effective immigration controls.
