Illegal immigrants may be granted amnesty in the UK

[sams]

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_06_ ... mnesty.htm

15 June 2006

The Home Office has not ruled out an amnesty for illegal immigrants, despite previously denying one would go ahead.

Home Office minister Liam Byrne said it is too early to tell whether he will allow the controversial move, adding he wants more information before he makes a decision.

Estimates put the number of people living in Britain without permission at about 500,000.

Labour has been considering the idea for at least three years. Former Home Secretary David Blunkett said it was mooted when he was heading the department.

And Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, welcomed the possibility of an amnesty.

He said: "The time has come for the Government to be brave, distinguishing between deporting the few who commit serious crimes and allowing the many undocumented migrant workers to remain."

He said: "They are good men and women, essential to our economy and pillars of their local churches and communities."

[Jeff Albright]

there will be NO amnesty!
There will be a regularisation of those who has lived in the UK for many years, worked, paid taxes and has no criminal record.

[haggishunter]

I'm sorry but the word illegal should mean something to everyone here.
Regularising them is TOTALLY unfair to anyone who goes through the proper channels and smacks of everything that is wrong with britain today. Why do things the proper way, cheat and be rewarded seems to be the motto of the day.
as far as I am concerned if someone runs out of appeals and is ordered deported then they should be deported rather than being bailed and doing a runner. Its the law. As far as I knew most airlines fly to most countries from heathrow at least once a day, so deport them and bill their country of origin for the cost of the flight.
I am just sick of people fiddling the legal system in Britain to suit their own means, for example child thugs getting off with crimes because of their "troubled childhood" most of them dont know what troubled means.
The HO and the IND need to sort themselves out and do their jobs.
A) let people who are legally married to foreign nationals live together
B) get rid of all the illegal immigrants who have been ordered deported
C) sort out your phone system so it will actually ring or go to an answering system instead of being engaged almost all the time.

ok rant over

[Merdok]

Think it is feasible!
Now they give away 3000 for those opting to withdraw their applications and return back to home countries... But!! This is only to last till 2007...

Doesnt this suggest that something is forthcoming in 2007?????

[Merdok]

One thing is for certain, the longer it is held in the uncertainty, the more illegal immigrants will get in. There might be 500 000 who is in this country, but there were 1 500 000 more who’s come and gone... It’s used to be a system – an illegal from, say, Serbia, clamed asylum, then worked illegally for some time, then, for a free ride to home, he turned to the HO saying he is happy to withdraw his asylum application if he was flown home and given some money.. After couple months with his family, he was back on track to the UK..

They would ask those to prove that they worked all this years.. – piece of cake, they would say they work as a trader and earned less then minimum taxation band.. just to ‘survive’.. And they would have plenty of friend, some other already settled Serbians, who would confirm they were the clients at the time..

All those would come and try to avail themselves from this putative amnesty.. More social tense .. Some riots when their hopes turn futile..

[OL7MAX]

Regularising them is TOTALLY unfair to anyone who goes through the proper channels and smacks of everything that is wrong with britain today. Why do things the proper way, cheat and be rewarded seems to be the motto of the day.

Bear in mind that the HO doesn't know where these people are.

Would you prefer these people stayed illegal and kept ALL their money or got "regularised" and helped defray your tax bill?

[JAJ]

Bear in mind that the HO doesn't know where these people are.

Would you prefer these people stayed illegal and kept ALL their money or got "regularised" and helped defray your tax bill?

And who's going to pay for all the welfare, education and NHS claims that would suddenly start being made?

[tvt]

These illegals already get all the welfare they want. Don't forget that whilst legal migrants have to pay a small fortune just to extend their stay, the illegals can invest the money they save towards buying EU passports and then just pose as EU citizens.

That is why there are no more asylum seekers. Illegals just buy EU passports for £500.

[JAJ]

Illegals just buy EU passports for £500.

Are you suggesting amnesty for these people too?

The prevalence of fake documentation from EU states is one of the reasons why a national ID card is required, to ensure that every person (among others) from EU states has their documentation checked officially before being issued a British ID card. While British ID cards may also be susceptible to forgery (but less so than many of the documents from EU states) it will be harder to forge the reference in the National Identity Database to which a particular card can be matched.[/u]

[OL7MAX]

While British ID cards may also be susceptible to forgery (but less so than many of the documents from EU states) it will be harder to forge the reference in the National Identity Database to which a particular card can be matched

I don't know what that means but it sounds like you are talking up the ID card scheme. The ID card project is an IT project. Do you know of one major IT project this government has undertaken that has gone smoothly? Air Traffic Control? Child Support Agency? Heck they can't even do tax credits properly. Going on past form this is what will happen: UK citizens will have to jump through hoops to prove who they are. Their details will be possibly counterchecked against police, NHS and other databases. Then, if they pay enough, they will reluctantly be issued IDs while everybody else will be offered the option of trading an unchecked and possibly fraudulent European ID card for a pucca British one with little or no checks. Please don't fall for the ID card spin.

If the UK government is lucky the ID card scheme will be only as big a disaster as the CSA. Unfortunately, it has the potential to be much larger.

every person (among others) from EU states has their documentation checked officially

LOL. yeah.... right . That's Spin! Are you saying the UK government won't accept ID cards from EU countries as authentic and will make EU nationals undergo the same scrutiny and document burden as illegal immigrants? Nope, they'll have to accept valid IDs from any EU country irrespective of whether you acquired it legally or not.

And who's going to pay for all the welfare, education and NHS claims that would suddenly start being made?

Fair question till you ponder it a bit. Those who are good at playing the welfare system are ALREADY on it! For others - these are the guys who are going to end up paying for YOUR welfare and NHS claims. They're, on average, 20-30 years younger than the UK population and 20-30 years further from retirement. It's a LOT cheaper to pay an occasional £50 to a private doctor than it is to pay almost a quarter of your salary in National Insurance alone. (Employer + employee N.I contributions = 23.8%). The best of BUPA plans won't cost a fraction of the N.I. he's "saving" right now. That's not to mention the "saving" on income tax, CGT and much else.