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| 'Big rise' in illegal immigrants | 'Big rise' in illegal immigrants |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The UK is home to nearly three quarters of a million illegal immigrants, research obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme suggests. | The UK is home to nearly three quarters of a million illegal immigrants, research obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme suggests. |
| A Home Office estimate in 2001 put the figure at 430,000. | A Home Office estimate in 2001 put the figure at 430,000. |
| But a recent study by the London School of Economics estimated the number of illegal or "irregular" immigrants and their dependents to be 725,000 in 2007. | But a recent study by the London School of Economics estimated the number of illegal or "irregular" immigrants and their dependents to be 725,000 in 2007. |
| The study into the economic impact of an amnesty for illegal immigrants was commissioned by the Mayor of London. | The study into the economic impact of an amnesty for illegal immigrants was commissioned by the Mayor of London. |
| The city is home to an estimated two thirds of illegal immigrants in the UK. | The city is home to an estimated two thirds of illegal immigrants in the UK. |
| The mayor, Boris Johnson, raised the idea of an illegal immigrant amnesty - which would offer some of them the right to work officially and eventually gain full citizenship - during the 2008 mayoral election. | The mayor, Boris Johnson, raised the idea of an illegal immigrant amnesty - which would offer some of them the right to work officially and eventually gain full citizenship - during the 2008 mayoral election. |
| 'Regularise status' | 'Regularise status' |
| In Monday's episode, Panorama takes a closer look at the idea, speaking to politicians and employers, as well as illegal immigrants, to examine the pluses and minuses of such a plan. | In Monday's episode, Panorama takes a closer look at the idea, speaking to politicians and employers, as well as illegal immigrants, to examine the pluses and minuses of such a plan. |
| The proposal for an amnesty starts with a conversation in London with the best of intentions and it ends up with dead bodies in the back of lorries in northern France Immigration Minister Phil Woolas | The proposal for an amnesty starts with a conversation in London with the best of intentions and it ends up with dead bodies in the back of lorries in northern France Immigration Minister Phil Woolas |
| Speaking to Panorama, Mr Johnson said the government should be doing more to prevent illegal immigrants getting in, but that trying to return the hundreds of thousands already here is impractical and another solution is needed: | Speaking to Panorama, Mr Johnson said the government should be doing more to prevent illegal immigrants getting in, but that trying to return the hundreds of thousands already here is impractical and another solution is needed: |
| "If it does look as though they could make a contribution to society, we should regularise their status or offer them the chance of regularising their status," he said. | "If it does look as though they could make a contribution to society, we should regularise their status or offer them the chance of regularising their status," he said. |
| "There would be some very tough criteria. Obviously no criminal record would be one, an ability to support yourself and support your family, commitment to society and the most, the most important thing is they should have been here for a considerable period of time." | "There would be some very tough criteria. Obviously no criminal record would be one, an ability to support yourself and support your family, commitment to society and the most, the most important thing is they should have been here for a considerable period of time." |
| 'Chronic failure' | 'Chronic failure' |
| The government is now tightening up border controls, introducing the "e-borders" system which counts people in and out of the country. | The government is now tightening up border controls, introducing the "e-borders" system which counts people in and out of the country. |
| But at current rates of deportation, using the new LSE figure of 725,000, it would take 34 years and cost almost £9bn to clear the backlog of people who are currently in the UK illegally. | But at current rates of deportation, using the new LSE figure of 725,000, it would take 34 years and cost almost £9bn to clear the backlog of people who are currently in the UK illegally. |
| Some claim that an amnesty would lure other illegal immigrants to the UK | Some claim that an amnesty would lure other illegal immigrants to the UK |
| But the idea of an amnesty is not supported by the Conservative Party or the government. | But the idea of an amnesty is not supported by the Conservative Party or the government. |
| Immigration Minister Phil Woolas says that far from helping, an amnesty would just encourage more illegal immigrants to come. | Immigration Minister Phil Woolas says that far from helping, an amnesty would just encourage more illegal immigrants to come. |
| "What unfortunately would happen is that people traffickers and others would see that as a pull factor to get people to the United Kingdom illegally and we would end up with a bigger problem not just for our society, but for the people themselves involved," Mr Woolas told the programme. | "What unfortunately would happen is that people traffickers and others would see that as a pull factor to get people to the United Kingdom illegally and we would end up with a bigger problem not just for our society, but for the people themselves involved," Mr Woolas told the programme. |
| "The proposal for an amnesty starts with a conversation in London with the best of intentions and it ends up with dead bodies in the back of lorries in northern France," he added. | "The proposal for an amnesty starts with a conversation in London with the best of intentions and it ends up with dead bodies in the back of lorries in northern France," he added. |
| A UK Border Agency (UKBA) spokesperson said that it did not tolerate anyone who abused the system and that the UK had "one of the toughest borders in the world and we are determined to ensure it stays that way." | |
| 'Hard political argument' | |
| The spokesperson added: "There is now triple ring of security that protects Britain: fingerprint visas, ID cards for foreign nationals that lock people to one identity and our high-tech electronic border controls that check people against police, immigration and customs watch-lists and will cover even more passenger journeys by the end of this year. | |
| "We are also taking tough enforcement action. Since the UK Border Agency was launched in April 2008, UKBA staff have made over 4,900 arrests as a result of people encountered during illegal working operations and our tough new force at the border last year stopped over 28,000 individual attempts to cross the Channel illegally." | |
| Mr Johnson admits that it is a "hard political argument to win" but argues that we need to be practical, telling Panorama: "If people are going to be here and we've chronically failed to kick them out it's morally right that they should contribute in their taxes to the rest of society". | Mr Johnson admits that it is a "hard political argument to win" but argues that we need to be practical, telling Panorama: "If people are going to be here and we've chronically failed to kick them out it's morally right that they should contribute in their taxes to the rest of society". |
| The LSE report estimates that if a minimum of five years residence in the UK were needed to qualify for an amnesty, 450,000 people could qualify for such regularisation. | The LSE report estimates that if a minimum of five years residence in the UK were needed to qualify for an amnesty, 450,000 people could qualify for such regularisation. |
| Immigration - Time for an Amnesty? 9 March 2008 on BBC One at 8.30pm. | Immigration - Time for an Amnesty? 9 March 2008 on BBC One at 8.30pm. |