UK Ancestry Entry Clearance - Possible Abolition

Possible Abolition

On 26 October 2005, The Times newspaper in Britain published an article outlining possible plans by the British Home Office to abolish admission under UK Ancestry in favour of a points based migration system. The issue had apparently been raised in the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. The possibility of abolition alarmed many people with British-born grandparents living in Commonwealth countries.

Scotland's First Minister, Jack McConnell, expressed his concern over the possible abolition of the UK Ancestry Entry Clearance. Mr. McConnell had recently been in Canada to encourage Canadians of Scottish heritage to move to Scotland. Canada has over 4 million citizens that are of Scottish descent. Part of the reason for this campaign was the concern over declining population and birthrate in Scotland. His campaign received a great deal of interest in Canada.

However, details of a new points based system announced on 7 March 2006 made it clear that ancestry routes to the UK would not be affected. The new points system covers those workers wishing to enter the UK without EU/EEA member state citizenship or ancestral links to the UK.

The abolition of this route was once again brought up by the Home Office in February 2008 in a green paper where public consultation is currently being held.

According to The Times, in July 2008, with the publication of a draft immigration and citizenship bill, the UK Home Office "confirmed that it will retain the ancestral route to citizenship under which Commonwealth citizens aged over 17 with one grandparent born in the UK can obtain a passport". This statement is somewhat inaccurate, because meeting those qualifications does not entitle that person to any passport (British or otherwise). It entitles the person to a UK Ancestry Entry Clearance which will allow them to enter the UK for residence and employment as a non-British citizen.