Lack of information ‘makes public anxious over illegal immigration’
ANXIETY about illegal immigration has been allowed to “grow unchecked” because of a shortage of official information on the scale of the problem, MPs have warned.
MPs said the lack of data has been perceived as the Government showing “indifference” towards an issue of “high public interest”.
A report published by the Home Affairs Committee today describes the “long-standing paucity” of figures on the number of people in the UK unlawfully as a “serious concern”.
Officials insist it is not possible to accurately quantify the number of overseas nationals in the country illegally.
Last year a former immigration enforcement chief claimed the figure was likely to run to more than one million.
This would include those who remain in the country beyond the period allowed under their visas, or after asylum claims are rejected, as well as people who arrived with no legal entitlement in the first place.
The Home Affairs Committee’s report says: “We recognise the Government’s concern that to create an official estimate of overall illegal immigration without any reliable evidence would not add value to the debate.
“However, we also believe that more analysis of the scale and nature of the problem of illegal immigration is needed in order to develop appropriate policy responses and reassure the public that the issue is being addressed seriously.”
Exit data and other sources should be used to produce an annual estimate of the numbers who have breached immigration rules to stay in the country, said the report.
It also stresses the importance of effective enforcement, pointing to a finding by inspectors that tens of thousands of foreign nationals, including convicted criminals and illegal immigrants, had disappeared off the Home Office’s radar.
The committee’s wide-ranging assessment made a string of recommendations, including: an annual report setting out a three-year, rolling plan for migration:
▪ A new “framework of targets” to replace the Government’s net migration target;
▪ An immigration system which treats different skills differently;
▪ A more proactive approach to challenging “myths and inaccuracies” about immigration;
▪ Consideration of a new seasonal agricultural workers scheme;
▪ No diminution of the UK’s approach to international humanitarian obligations;
▪ And the development of a national integration strategy.
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the committee, said: “Most people think immigration is important for Britain, but they want to know that the system is under control, that people are contributing to this country and that communities and public services are benefiting rather than facing pressures.”
SNP MP Stuart McDonald, who is a member of the committee, reiterated calls for devolution of immigration powers. But he added: “Clearly, building consensus around immigration is a challenge, but experiences in other countries such as Canada show that you can build broad agreement.
“There are lots of recommendations which would help make that happen and could lead to a transformation in the debate.”
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We are making it harder than ever before for those with no right to be here to remain in the UK. Whether it is working, renting a property, opening a bank account or driving a car, we are now taking tougher action on those who flout the law.”