Opposition to Britain’s plans to introduce a £3,000-bond for visitors from India and five other Commonwealth countries deemed “high risk” is stepping up, as the UK government on Thursday outlined new measures to toughen up the country’s immigration system.

Led by the Labour MP Virendra Sharma, members of the Campaign Against Racist Laws, made up of Indian-origin groups from across Britain, on Thursday presented a petition to the Home Secretary Teresa May, calling for the controversial bond for those on six-month visas to be scrapped.

“The visa bond scheme will divide families at social functions of happiness, and at times of bereavement,” states the petition. “This is part of the ongoing discrimination against migrants facing retrospective legislation redefining conditions for high skilled labour and students.”

The group is also considering legal action, under the country’s anti-discrimination laws, said Harsev Bains, General Secretary of the Indian Workers Association, at a meeting of the group at the House of Commons on Thursday. “The issue is not just the £3,000-bond but it’s the fact that the introduction is racially motivated. We are not asking for privileges, we are asking for a level playing field and they treat us with equality and dignity,” he said.

The petition is being presented at a crucial time, as the proposed bond faces opposition from within the ranks of the governing Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, with much confusion about its details. “At present nobody is clear on exactly how this will be implemented, even the government is not clear how to implement it,” said Sharma.

While, the campaign currently covers Indian associations, the organisers hope to bring in groups representing the other five nations impacted: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Nigeria. “There is a huge gap in the equality battle, it’s a long-term issue and we will carry on fighting for it,” said Sharma.

The UK government announced plans to pilot the scheme back in June, in a move that was widely condemned.

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, has said he would oppose the bond, while Sarah Teather, also a Liberal Democrat member of the government, who has announced her retirement from Parliament at the next general election, cited the bond as one of her reasons for quitting.

While the government is yet to outline specifics about the bond, on Thursday the Home Office introduced the new Immigration Bill into Parliament, which includes tough curbs on the rights of foreign nationals and their right to appeal against immigration decisions. Other measures include requiring private landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants, and banks carrying out checks on potential clients.

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