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Clampdown on illegal immigrants Illegal immigration 'crackdown'
(about 9 hours later)
The Home Office is launching a drive to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the UK. Immigration officers would be able to arrest British citizens who help to smuggle people into the country, under Home Office plans being unveiled.
Measures aimed at increasing the number of deportations from the country will include giving immigration officers greater powers of arrest. The public will be encouraged to report suspects and companies will be punished for hiring those in the UK illegally.
From January the public will be asked to report suspects anonymously, while employers will be warned against taking on illegal immigrant workers. The government has already said it is doubling the budget for deportations.
But the scheme added little to officers' current powers and would make firms "reluctant to recruit anybody", the Immigration Advisory Service said.
"Immigration officers have already been given very significant powers to remove people without the need for police," chief executive Keith Best told BBC Radio Five Live.
I'm fearful that's going to lead to discrimination against anybody who looks as though they might be a foreigner Keith BestImmigration Advisory Service
"They've been given powers to detain people and suchlike in previous legislation and so they don't really need more powers.
"The trouble with the provisions for civil penalties for employers is that it's going to make employers even more reluctant to recruit anybody, to employ anybody whom they think might not be lawfully entitled to work.
"And I'm fearful that's going to lead to discrimination against anybody who looks as though they might be a foreigner."
A bill tackling deportations was included in last week's Queen's Speech.A bill tackling deportations was included in last week's Queen's Speech.
The Border and Immigration Bill set before Parliament by Home Secretary John Reid seeks to speed up the process of deporting criminals and tackle loopholes through which illegal immigrants enter the country. The Border and Immigration Bill, set before Parliament by Home Secretary John Reid, seeks to speed up the process of deporting criminals and tackle loopholes through which illegal immigrants enter the country.
Budget increase
The government has already said it is doubling the budget for deportations to nearly £300m.The government has already said it is doubling the budget for deportations to nearly £300m.
Frequent criticism It hopes the Home Office measures will increase the number of people who can be removed from the UK.
On Monday the Home Office announces measures they hope will increase the number of people deported from the UK. The measures are seen as a response to criticism from political opponents about a perceived failure to deport enough of those identified as being in the UK illegally.
It is also giving immigration officers powers to arrest British citizens for the first time if they suspect they have been involved in smuggling in illegal immigrants. There were nearly 5,000 deportations in the last three-month period for which figures were available, which constituted a record.
From January the public will be asked to report suspects by phoning the Crimestoppers number anonymously while later this month there will be a campaign warning employers they face action if they give work to illegal immigrants. But critics say this is nothing compared to the estimated 500,000 people who are in the UK illegally.
The government is responding to frequent criticism from political opponents that it has failed to remove enough of those identified as being here illegally.
In the past three months there were nearly 5,000 deportations - this constituted a record, but according to critics it is a mere drop in the ocean compared with an estimated half a million people in the UK illegally.