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No UK rollout for 'go home' vans Theresa May says 'go home' will not be rolled out across UK
(35 minutes later)
Vans telling illegal immigrants to "go home" or face arrest will not be rolled out across the UK. Theresa May has said vans telling illegal immigrants to "go home" or face arrest will not be rolled out across the UK.
A trial of the controversial vans in London is currently being evaluated by the Home Office. A trial of the controversial vans in London is still being evaluated.
A government source has told BBC News the evidence shows the vans are "not very effective". But the home secretary told MPs she accepted they had "not been a good idea".
It was not clear when the evidence would be published, added the government source, but "the vans will not be going ahead". The campaign had resulted in the removal of some illegal immigrants but they were too much of a "blunt instrument," she added.
The Home Office's pilot, which saw vans driving around parts of London for a week in July, drew criticism from across the political spectrum. The government pilot, which saw vans driving around parts of London for a week in July, drew criticism from across the political spectrum.
Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable described the campaign as "stupid", and Labour accused the government of aping language used by the far-right National Front in the 1970s.Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable described the campaign as "stupid", and Labour accused the government of aping language used by the far-right National Front in the 1970s.
UKIP said the scheme was "disturbing" and reminiscent of a fascist dictatorship.UKIP said the scheme was "disturbing" and reminiscent of a fascist dictatorship.
The vans were also criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority, which said the arrest statistics on them were misleading, although the watchdog cleared the campaign of being offensive and irresponsible.The vans were also criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority, which said the arrest statistics on them were misleading, although the watchdog cleared the campaign of being offensive and irresponsible.
During the campaign, the advertising vans drove around the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Hounslow - all ethnically diverse areas where it is thought a lot of illegal immigrants live and work.
The poster displayed a picture of handcuffs and read: "In the UK illegally?... GO HOME OR FACE ARREST."
'Hard-hitting''Hard-hitting'
Home Office ministers insisted that the pilot had worked - and they were considering extending it to other parts of the country.Home Office ministers insisted that the pilot had worked - and they were considering extending it to other parts of the country.
Speaking earlier this month, police minister Damian Green said the "hard-hitting" campaign had "let people know that 'the traditional view that if you have been here illegally nothing would happen to you' is not the case".Speaking earlier this month, police minister Damian Green said the "hard-hitting" campaign had "let people know that 'the traditional view that if you have been here illegally nothing would happen to you' is not the case".
But according to the Daily Mail, Home Secretary Theresa May has decided not to extend their use, as only one person, a Pakistani man, was persuaded to leave the country as a result of seeing the signs. But Mrs May told MPs that ministers had "to step up to plate and say when something was not a good idea".
Mrs May is expected to update MPs on the future of the vans when the government's Immigration Bill is debated in the House of Commons later. Speaking during a Commons debate on government's Immigration Bill, she said the campaign had led to some people voluntarily leaving the UK but the measure had been "too much of a blunt instrument".
Speaking in a separate parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert said he would be "very pleased" if the idea was scrapped, describing it as "deeply inappropriate". The Lib Dems claim they were not consulted about the idea and would have opposed it had they known and party president Tim Farron has suggested they should take credit for not allowing it to go any further.
The Lib Dems claim they were not consulted about the idea and would have opposed it had they known. Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert said he was "very pleased" the idea was being axed, describing it as "deeply inappropriate".
FOI request
Conservative MP Henry Smith told the BBC's Daily Politics it had been an idea "worth looking at" but it had been practically flawed and made "people less willing to report if they were in the country illegally rather than more willing".
And former Labour home secretary David Blunkett told the same programme the pilot had failed and the evidence showed it had made no difference to legitimate efforts to tackle illegal immigration.
A request by the BBC to see the Home Office's initial evaluation of the pilot has been turned down.A request by the BBC to see the Home Office's initial evaluation of the pilot has been turned down.
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani requested information about the response to the ad campaign, under Freedom of Information laws.The BBC's home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani requested information about the response to the ad campaign, under Freedom of Information laws.
But he was told the details were intended for "future publication" and therefore were exempt from disclosure rules. But he was told the details were intended for "future publication" and therefore were exempt from disclosure rules. It is not clear when the study will be published.