Hull MP condemns Lib Dem amnesty plans for illegal immigrants

Hull North Labour MP Diana Johnson has attacked Lib Dem plans for an "earned amnesty" for 600,000 immigrants currently living and working illegally in Britain.

The "earned amnesty", leading to full UK citizenship, was a central part of the "liberal immigration policy" agreed at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton today (18 September).

Diana Johnson MP said: "This Lib Dem policy of giving a so-called 'earned amnesty' to over half a million immigrants living and working illegally in Britain would send out a disastrous signal that not playing by the rules pays off.

"It would discriminate unfairly against many genuine migrants who have behaved honestly. The Government need to retain the discretion to help these genuine cases rather than rewarding those who break the rules.

"The criminal gangs engaged in people trafficking would be given a greater incentive to ply their evil trade of modern-day slavery. This would be bad for community cohesion in Hull and elsewhere.

"Whatever its superficial attraction and no matter what conditions are attached to it, this Lib Dem policy amounts to throwing in the towel. I am pleased that it has been firmly rejected by the Labour Government.

"I support the Government's approach of doubling the budget for enforcement in the immigration and asylum system, increasing the number of deportations and introducing a new border police force to strengthen our border controls. The Government also plans to introduce a national ID card scheme to help combat illegal immigration. This is opposed by the Lib Dems and Tories.

"Our Labour Government has been leading action on global poverty, fair trade and development to attack the underlying causes of economic migration. Just rewarding those here illegally, as the Lib Dems propose to do, will not address the causes of immigration."

Ends