11.03.09
London Mayor calls for UK immigration amnesty
London Mayor Boris Johnson wants immigrants to work in the UK legally
London Mayor, Boris Johnson, has added his weight to recent calls for an immigration amnesty for immigrants who have unofficially lived and worked in the UK for a long time, claiming all immigration is good for the capital.
He says that the government would take 60 years, at current rates, to remove the number of irregular immigrants in the UK, who mostly live and work in London.
Instead, Johnson is calling for them to be given a chance to live and work in the UK officially and to start paying their taxes.
The presence of large numbers of immigrant workers is an indicator that a city is succeeding economically. During the boom years between 2001 and 2007, the number of illegal immigrants jumped from 430,000 to 725,000.
Johnson’s plea to the immigration minister, Phil Woolas, to consider an immigration amnesty is driven not by politics, but by money.
If the irregular immigrants return home, London will lose money, but if they are granted a UK visa, it will make more money and the government will receive taxes from them. Estimates indicate that £1 billion of income tax is lost each year through not taxing illegal immigrants.
London Borough Councils will also benefit from extra council tax payments resulting in a fairer system for everyone, claim the advocates of the amnesty.
What are your thoughts on Boris Johnson’s UK immigration amnesty?
Published by Gareth McConnell Global Visas in UK immigration
March 11th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
It is bizarre that a city major is making such comments, as immigration policy is not his responsibility. Although Boris is a primary stakeholder, his input would be far better focused on finding illegal immigrations within London and reporting them to the BIA.
It is also outrageously stupid comment by Boris because of many reasons already mentioned. It rewards criminal behaviour; it risks a sudden inflow of people intending to be illegal immigrations; and persuades current illegal immigrations in the UK who are actually planning to leave, to stay.
This also causes huge offence to legal immigrants who have ‘jumped through the hoops’ of the UK’s onerous and expensive immigration system. This especially includes all the legal immigrations that needed to return to their home country to switch between immigration categories – which were completely unnecessary (and bad for the environment).
Boris needs to be told quickly to get back into line and not spend public money on researching issues that aren’t his responsibility.
March 11th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
BoJo suggested only those without criminal records and who have been living in the UK for a long period of time should be considered.
It might help those already living here with children born in the country but are now stuck or lost in the system.
See what you’re saying about the legitimate ones though who have been paying taxes for years… and paying for visas.
Not sure how they would feel about this idea.
March 12th, 2009 at 9:54 am
This is a good idea and i would welcome it. Deporting these people will mean the government having to pay billions of money than just giving them papers then they can be able to contribute tax.
This would also help these people to start their lives some of these people are skilled e.g lawyers, doctors, but because they do not have papers they can not work. We are having to recruite people with these skills from outside the country whilst these skills are already avail in this coountry from these people. Why not give them work permits
Boris Isupport you on this one
March 12th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I think Boris is speaking without the benefit of factual figures to back up his clain that the UK would be better off if illegal immigrants paid taxes.
For a start they are mostly low paid workers and therefore will not pay much tax.
Many of them will have children and dependants living here and will be able to climb on the ‘hand out benefit’ band waggon.That alone will wipe out any tax they may pay.
And most important of all they are helping to overcrowd the country, already the most overcrowded in Europe, something that the ‘authorities’ have still to awaken to.
An amnesty would aggavate all these things.
People who break our laws are not welcome here !
March 12th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
It is a great idea. There are so immigrants who are normal people (not criminals) that have been in UK for years and seek a normal life in the UK and they deserve an amnesty. At the end of the day , most of them do the jobs that most lazy english people don’t and to think that most of them are well educated but do low paid jobs!
UK government needs them.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
There is a theory “Stranger to resident” by accepting the fact countries have illegal immigration. In short we are ne race and one earth and people should be able to follow their heart.
If you have moved and bring benifits you your new home why should you still be breaking the law?
Most Illegal Immigrants in the USA or UK etc.. only break the because they have to and don’t make a habit of it.
It would be like doing a wrong thing and never being forgiven.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
This is the most beneficial asset that UK will acquired if granting resident to illegal immigrants.
Most english are lazy and do not do a lot of jobs that is at the moment contributing the economy like working in the fish and chips,cleaning the street,delivering news paper etc.All they do is talking with no logical explanation.
They prefer claiming benefits than doing such job as benefits will bring them more money than these jobs will do.So basically the benefits system needs to be change and get these unemployed back to work either in the street or fish and chips.They should be forced to work or they wont get any money at all.Then talk about giving amnesty.
As far as im aware most illegal immigrants are self sufficient .They work day and night doing 3 to 4 jobs a week just to pay for their rent and feeding their families like any civilised citizen would do but due to their status they are not contribite to the economy.
Boris is right about giving amnesty.Their should be criterias like 5 years without criminal record and im sure that most of them doesnt have criminal record as they are not criminal but only illegal.
Some of them are highly qualified and thus why do we have to grant highly migrant skill visa to allowed more in the country where we already the necessary skills and qualification to run that program.Most of the qualified people are working too but at a lower rate that suppose to be.Still they are not contributing tax.Still loosing out.
On top of the arguement,it will take about 30 to 60 years with billions of tax payers money to deport these inocent people.They are here to make a living like everybody else not to create problems.They are not taking your bread as english people do not want to associate with these minor jobs.These money can be plough back into the economy that most needed.They have also create a force (UKBORDER FORCE)to tackle this situation and do you know how much money are they getting paid to such job.Still its waste of tax payers money.Their job is so basic with no relevant skill at all.only they know a few laws.Well even a 16 years old can do this job.They have got their priority wrong.According to my point of view, they will never catch all illegal immigrants even the next century coming.so good luck to them.
To the balance of the for and against, it would be ideal to grant amnesty following criterias and to allowed any genuine students in any field have a chance to contribute to the economy a right to stay and work without recourse to public funds.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
It is quite hard to answer this question and there is no right or wrong answer to it.
In general, I believe that immigrants contribute a lot. It is a shame that some British people are so against foreigners, most of them don’t even understand why… It is important for them to realize the truth – there people contribute a lot, they clean your streets, they sort and deliver your correspondence, they pick up the vegetables which you lay on your table…
I think that amnesty should be carried out but within very strict set of criteria – clean security check and at least 7 years of stay(not five, as the number of people will be too high). It is also important to take into account those who are here legally for the same period of time as it would be unfair to give all the rights to people who are in UK illegal for 5 years but to ignore those lawful temporary residents, for example students, that already studied for 9 years. Therefore, my believe is that it should not be an amnesty for illegal workers but amnesty for all immigrants that meet certain set of criteria.
What British people should realize is that immigrants are not criminals, normally they keep a low profile, you probably don’t even notice them that much. They are mainly highly educated, as someone mentioned earlier, most of them had very good upbringing, are polite, well behaved and extremely hardworking.
March 14th, 2009 at 9:31 am
illegal immigrant are commonly known to have economic problems for leaving their countries.And they are commonly committing offence relating to illegal working. The only beneficiary of this lopsidedness is the rogue employers who employed them for years, and not remitting their tax back to government
if government is able to give amnesty to them to find employment the rogue employer will have no reason to continue to employ them back door to the disadvantage of the country.
And the cost of deportation is far beyond what the coutnry country can cope with for now especially with the current recession of the economy.They may be given access to find job with strict condition of not claiming benefit untill they have worked for a number of years i believe w this will make some of them to seat up and leave up to their responsibility.
Immigrant are not neccessarily evil in my own thinking, i support amnesty in the interest of social orderliness and economic development
March 14th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Knowing that this idea is being supported by the major of London is a proof that London is now realistic about the facing the issues that are pertinent to the positive development of the capital.
There are more illegal immigrants in London than any other part of the country and a larger percentage of this people are in one form of employment or the other. Most of them are also very skilled and talented but are willing to take up any employment. The remaining percentage of these groups remains unemployed and constitute to crimes and all sort. Some has lost the hope of regularizing their status and therefore resulted to crimes.
There are hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in this country that are in that state because of crocked solicitors in the UK, many have been mis-lead and now in precarious circumstances. Many are here with children who were born here and settled into schools.
The fate of this people depends on their own hands to either give themselves up to return home or to continue a low profile until one day.
However, the UK will never be able to solve these issues until a decision is made to either deport this entire people or resolve their situation. The first option will turn our country into a police country and therefore would loss the global view of Intelligence. It would also make crime more prominent as many would get too agitated and uncontrollable.
There is no country in the world that has not benefited from immigrants. The cost of sending people home is more costly than stabilizing them.
Now that we are strengthening the UK Boarder, an approach to clean the inside would be a positive one. It would definitely stabilize the major cities and portray the UK as a responsive nation to the global disillusionment.
March 16th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Just a quick word to those picking on the word “illegal” and say “illegals are illegals”: what’s the sentence for doing an illegal thing? one day there’s a policing pledge that knife amnesty is on and people wont get punished if they handed in the knife.well how come immigrants get punished for being illegal here and its still not enough!! bearing in mind having an illegal residence status is far less of a crime to some of the crimes out there yet some true criminals get 5years or less and thats it but an illegal immigrant has to be punished for ever only because they’ve come here hoping for a better life.Its true that their residence status is illegal BUT some of them have paid for it by their lives by being here for long and living in destition. I believe when for any crime there’s a penalty,then the government should come clean and say “ok if you’ve been here for long time with no criminal record then we’ll let you stand up provided you appreciate your new status by contributing in a constructive way.
Thank you.
March 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
The Shadow Immigration minister, Damien Green, has commented on BoJo’s appeal for an amnesty, in short he’s told him to keep his nose out of it and leave it to the professionals and it’s not going to happen in his lifetime:
“This is obviously a policy for national government rather than the Mayor of London. We are against an amnesty because we have seen that it doesn’t work in other parts of the world. If you start having amnesties, you attract more illegal immigration.”
March 16th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
To say that is has not worked anywhere in the world is like saying you can plant any seed in any country. There are certain seeds like apple that cannot be planted just in any climate.
I benefited from Amnesty here in Spain and since then my life has turn around for good as I am not a qualified Nurse.
Amnesty will grow any ecomony. There will be new job creations, you should know that many of the illegal are well read and many are already self employed.
UK should make the world proud by giving an amnesty and then make their boarder more secure or use ID cards like in the rest of Europe.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Really, i see nothing bad in what the mayor said, he is a man of action, he saying the truth nothing but the truth,live and let live.The other E.U granted anmesty to millions of illegal immigrants the same people came down to UK.Making live unbearable for immigrants here.
March 21st, 2009 at 8:02 pm
really, i see nothing bad in what the mayor said,he is a man of honour.the so call english people are not working and you want your economy to be the best,it is not possible…the only way forward is to grant the illegal immigrants stay so that they can start a better life and contribute to the system.
March 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
i think the fear of most people should be that most illegal immigrants are far more educated than the locals who cant be bovered with education, and their granting of amnesty will mean a competition for top jobs, if jobs and promotions are granted by merit and positive contribution ismell trouble for some and smiles for some\n\ni will tell you something save for 1 or 2 nationalities, immigrants are not even bothered about benefits they dont exist were they come from, all they know is to work for a living.
March 30th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
It is good now is the time let anyone say their say but its good for the country.
April 20th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Yes. an amnesty is must. It is of no use to send aid on humanitarian grounds to the sunami, flood, Drought, Earthquake, Cyclone, Hunger or war victims when their own people in the UK, who are there since years but known as illegal immigrants are being repelled by the employers by saying,”No no, go away,” for they are not allowed to work. No work means no money, no food and no life ie go and die of hunger. Similarly what is the use of distribution of free medicines in the world by Red-Cross when their own people in the UK labelled as illegals are banned to get medical assistance in case they fall ill. Ironically, they are forced to die with dignity, for want of medicines.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:36 am
believe it or not there aint no way the brit economy will bounce back if they dont listen to boris its as simple as abc…
April 27th, 2009 at 12:46 am
all me typical brits mate depend and live on benefit even tho there r grown men and 100% healthy to work but they chose and intend to stick to benefit regardless, till now am still wondering why. its like a joke to me.
and yeah where is all that benefit money that they get paid come from? i guess everyone here knows the answer to that question. “you dont have to tell a blind man that war has started.. even tho his blind”
May 20th, 2009 at 11:11 am
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 having an 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 illegals 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 intact to ‘No more entry’. Not granting an amnesty: IT IS A MODERN SLAVERY IN THE MODERN COUNTRY.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Boris is one of the british that wants the progress of UK.he is making a srong positive way forward to improve the image of this country both home and abroad.Actually government is loosing billions of money to illegal immigrations.if possible the government could grant renewable short term residence permit to illegal immigrants.I think Better the government find quick solution to this now.It might affect the british abroad,immigrants deported will not be happy seeeing british in their own country.It is better the government stop inflow of people coming in and find solution to those already in the system working one way or the other.
May 24th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Boris Johnson is making the best solution to sort out the tap root problem of this country regards illegal immigrants.Though it might be difficult to grant it,personally there is nothing impossible regards to this issue.this is a simple matter,give people 2years renewable residence permit,check their record after two years and renew it for them,those who do not have good record after complition should face deportation.the VISA should restrict them from access to loan or house mortgage or any long term contract.Deportation has lots of negative effect.Everyone knows British are lenient to foreigners.United states bring different colours together and become the world super power,i think UK could set an example in Europe aswell.Illegal immigrant have been living in Uk contributing a lots,current bad economy is mainly caused by mass flow in of other EU citizens,Now the so called long term contributors of the Uk economy are now the victims of deportation.MAY GOD HELP UK GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AND HELP THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.