Reid announces clampdown on illegal immigrants

Home Secretary John Reid has announced a series of measures aimed at preventing illegal immigrants coming to the UK.

Mr Reid said that the new strategy would allow the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to progressively deny work, benefits and services to those here illegally by working in partnership with tax authorities, benefits agencies, government departments, local authorities, police and the private sector.

The measures include the creation of immigration crime partnerships between the IND, local authorities, police, HM Revenue and Customs and local agencies in order to detect illegal immigrants and block benefits and the creation of a 'watch list' of illegal migrants that can be provided to other government departments and agencies to deny access to services.

Pilots would also be held in three NHS trusts in order to test how IND data could be used to help ensure that overseas visitors not entitled to free healthcare pay for the services.

The driver licensing system would also be reviewed to see how it could be used to identify and combat illegal immigration, including identifying those illegal immigrants applying for licenses fraudulently, who would then be denied a license and targeted for enforcement action.

The measures also include plans to text reminders to mobile phones reminding people when their visas are about to run out. A three-month pilot of this scheme will begin next month.

Commenting on the new measures, the Home Secretary said: "Most people who come to this country wish to comply fully with our immigration laws, but where they don't we are committed to blocking the benefits and privileges that should only be enjoyed by those here legitimately.

"Today's strategy outlines how we plan to tackle those who commit the most serious harm first, by developing local partnerships allowing IND to respond to the individual needs of communities.

"We will also make it easier to obey the rules through enhanced checking services for employers and the introduction of a new system for managing migration requiring sponsors to support applications.

"This new approach will make life in this country ever more uncomfortable and constrained for those who come here illegally."

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis criticised the measures. He said: "John Reid is effectively giving up on trying to deport the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in this county, preferring instead to spam them with text messages.

"It is all rather extraordinary. The idea that somebody who is about to overstay or who is overstaying will change his mind because somebody sends him a text message seems to be something out of this world.

"These sorts of measures are just headline grabbing initiatives. The issue here is that we should stop them coming into the country in the first place if they shouldn't be here, and secondly, if they are here and we catch them, they should be deported."

Mr Davis' comments were echoed by Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Nick Clegg. He said: "If tough rhetoric and gimmicks were enough to sort out our immigration system, we would have the best in the world.

"John Reid himself has condemned his immigration department as unfit for purpose, yet now he is attempting to obscure that incompetence with more tough talk. Sending a text message is hardly going to stop someone from overstaying their visa.

"When it comes to the sensitive issue of immigration the public wants quiet competence, not loud incompetence."

(KMcA/SP)