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We are winning borders battle
Date published: 03 December 2009
‘Those who come to live here should speak English, obey the law and pay taxes’
Writing exclusively for the Oldham Chronicle, Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, says the UK is tackling illegal immigration and economic migration, while staying a safe haven for refugees.
Mr Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, believes that while the economy needs some skilled workers, people with no right to be here should be deported.
Here he sets out his view.
Last week, the UK Border Agency with Greater Manchester Police detained 23 suspected illegal workers in a large-scale operation on clothing manufacturers suspected of employing illegal workers.
Eight employers were served with potentially hefty fines.
This is just one of hundreds of operations that take place each year across the region.
Since April, over 900 people who had no right to be in the UK have been removed from the North-West.
No one disputes the rights of those fleeing persecution to claim asylum here — this country has a long and proud history as a safe haven for refugees.
And while no one can deny that the economy still needs workers from abroad who offer skills that are not widely found in the UK workforce, we are ensuring training is available for people across the UK.
The NHS and businesses like universities, manufacturing, and catering firms depend on people from overseas to fill posts they simply can’t recruit for in the UK.
But economic migration must be carefully controlled. And those who come to live here should speak English, obey the law and pay taxes.
We will aim to remove those who have no right to be here. Failed asylum seekers, overstayers and foreign national prisoners who have no right to be here are, on the whole, removed.
Over the last few years, we have implemented some of the most advanced strategies for dealing with immigration in the world — for the benefit of the North-West and the UK as a whole.
The majority of asylum claims are now dealt with within six months — including the time it takes to deport failed claimants back to their home country.
The Australian-style points based system gives us greater control over who comes here to work and study — so we have the flexibility to meet the needs of the economy, but without putting local jobs at risk.
This has allowed us to help us through difficult times. Non-European low-skilled workers are not allowed into the UK. Most importantly, we have strengthened the border. Electronic border controls count people in and out of the country. UK Border Agency staff work in 135 countries across the world, preventing known criminals or illegal immigrants from entering the UK well before they reach British soil.
Visas and ID cards for foreign nationals that contain fingerprint data are reducing the risk of identity fraud.
We are introducing local immigration teams to work with local people and businesses and act on local concerns about immigration.
Teams in Manchester and Salford, Merseyside and Cheshire have already acted against illegal working, closed a college bringing bogus students into the country, and have built links with organisations representing refugees fleeing from danger.
It’s a far cry from where we were 20, even 10 years ago — the system for controlling immigration and asylum developed in the 80s and 90s simply couldn’t cope with the huge increase of asylum claims, which took years not months to process.
There were 80 different ways to get a work permit for overseas workers to choose from — so there was no clear link between the needs of the economy and who was coming to work here.
There’s no question that over the last 50 years, the North-West, and the UK as a whole have benefited socially, culturally and economically from immigration.
But there has never been an open door policy as the far right claim.
Today, the public can be confident that, for the sake both of legitimate immigrants and existing communities, we now have the some of the best systems in the world to control immigration — preserving and strengthening our communities now and for the future.
Comments
"No one disputes the rights of those fleeing persecution to claim asylum here" Genuine asylum, always, Labour political manipulation asylum, never.
The asylum system is goldmine for abuse, and a goldmine for lawyers. How many thousands of people from Sangatte managed to get to Britain then immediately claimed asylum. They should have claimed asylum in the first safe country.
Labour even let thousands in during an amnesty. Stop digging Woolas, you're history.
well said Mr Woolas
And how about the government getting corporations who make their millions in this country to pay their taxes too instead of allowing them to get away without paying in the Channel Islands or in British crown dependencies like the British Virgin Islands?
People fleeing persecution should claim asylum in the first safe Country they arrive in.
The NHS now pays out an eight fold in medical negligence claims
Funny how the asylum control developed 80s and 90s was when the Tories were in control.
There is a big doubt that the Indigenous people of these Isles have benefited from immigration. Indigenous, being your grandparent being born on these shores, it looks like Labour and Phil is trying to pull the wool over our eyes again.
who are you trying to fool phil? we all know that immegration has been spiralling out of control while you lot have been in power. and all the while everyone including the far right have been saying this you have chosen to ignore it. even people in your own party have come clean and agreed that it is out of control.
sadly by ignoring the people of britain fr so long, this has now played into the hands of the far right.
and i might add that its not just the stereotypical white brit who says that immegration is out of control. even asian, chinese and afro-carribean friends of mine who's families settled down here in years gone by agree that the recent influx has been far too much and should have been limited. now we're overstretched in almost every public service with these extra numbers and there are no jobs left out there in these dire times!
" Skills not widely found in the UK? " So train people in those skills then we don't need immigrants from other countries. " NHS, businesses like universities, manufacturing, catering firms depend on people from overseas." Why? Cos they are paid too little or need retraining? Surely it's cheaper to address those things than bring people (and familes) from abroad? Madness to bring more into our crowded island.
umm...yes MR Woolas we believe you
"Workers from abroad who offer skills that are not widely found in the UK workforce"
Yeah right. Thats why we have polish migrant workers doing unskilled work here in Oldham is it?
Distraction tactics. Talk bout asylum when the big numbers coming in are bogus students and spouses and families of settlers who always seem to marry abroad. Labour has changed this country forever and for the worse. Riots, no go areas, home grown terrorism.Separate communities with their own law and economies Who would vote for more of this?
Just so people know the reality behind the smiling face of Phil Useless, immigrants are not refused entry because they can't speak English, they just aren't given a passport, I know of one who has failed both the language and the citizenship three times, but he's allowed to keep taking it until he passes, or pays someone to take it for him!
Reality.No full time jobs of any kind.People buying houses while living on state handouts.! 30 year old students living off benefits.!Paying no council tax or any taxes but sending money abroad.!!! Ministers living in cloud cuckoo land.
Have Your Say
‘Those who come to live here should speak English, obey the law and pay taxes’
I don't see why. There are plenty of indigenous residents, especially low-life yobs, that do none of these things.
By Road Rocket @ 03/12/2009 12:44:04