London Mayor Boris Johnson favours amnesty for illegal immigrants
Mayor Boris Johnson says illegal immigrants are a “huge issue” in London, and wants the Government to consider offering some undocumented workers amnesty to stay in the country.
In 2007, the city had some 518,000 illegal immigrants or 6.9% of the 7.5 million population, the mayor said in an e-mailed press statement this earlier month, quoting new research from the London School of Economics (LSE).
The study also shows that there were about 725,000 foreigners in the UK illegally, an increase of 295,000 since 2001.
“This is a huge issue for the capital,” said Johnson, a former Member of Parliament who was elected as London Mayor May 2008.
“London is disproportionately affected, with more irregular migrants than anywhere else in the U.K.
“We need far tougher border controls to control the flow of people into our country,”
Johnson added.
“We should carefully consider the merits of an earned amnesty for long-term migrants to maximize the economic potential of these people so they can pay their way.”
In November, Johnson commissioned the London School of Economics research on the impact of immigration. The report will be completed in the next three months, he said.
But Boris is out of step with his own Conservative party and the ruling Labour Government, which has ruled out an amnesty.
There are an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 people in the UK illegally. According to an earlier ippr study, finding and removing half a million illegal immigrants would cost around £5 billion and take up to 20 years.
The ippr report also concluded that legalising those migrants and bringing them into the tax system would add billions in tax benefits to the UK economy.
What do you think? Would an amnesty be good or bad for Britain?
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Reader Comments
i think an amnesty should be given to the migrants who have been here mor hten 5 years especialy familys and they who have no criminal records and no to the new comers
dear sir/madam
as i am being a long term refused failed asylum seeker who have been living in UK for 10 yrs, as i have severel qualifitation i been offered so many restaurant and cocktail bar management possition , which i cant get the job cos of my curent immigration stautes, eventhoug i obtained my national insurance number, driving license ,and been paying my tax last 6 yrs, plus with NO CRIMINAL record period of my stay in london ,
I JUST WONDER do i deserve earn amnesty ?
It is only fair that an amnesty should be granted to the illegal immigrants who have completed their five years stay in the UK. It is a talk of common sense that these undocumented who are residing in this country for the last five years without any criminal record and have not seen their families since then, must have affection with this country to make their life better. They are not criminals, criminals are those who do murders with knives. These people walk on the road by keeping their eye-lids down. Criminals must be kicked out. But those illegls who have meditated here since years in hope of better life, in fact living a miserable and double life, must be granted an amnesty without further delay so that they may contribute to the UK economy positively. Even birds migrate for better living. The borders may be sealed to ‘no more entry’