Under this government 45 per cent fewer employers have been issued with fines for employing illegal immigrants
Today Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s shadow home secretary, will set out how a Labour government could do more to strengthen Britain’s borders. Labour accuse the Conservatives of failing to support border staff in the fight against illegal immigration.
Under this government there have been fewer drugs seizures, fewer people turned away at the border and fewer enforced removals, despite Cameron’s tough rhetoric on immigration. 45 per cent fewer employers have been issued with fines and 88 per cent fewer have faced prison sentences for employing illegal immigrants.
Ms Cooper is expected to outline Labour’s plan to recruit an additional 1,000 border staff, paid for by levying a charge on non-visa visitors to the UK, to help enforce immigration rules. She will also describe Labour’s plans to increase the fine for employing illegal migrants by a third to at least £30,000, and introduce an escalator system for more serious offences, meaning that serial offenders would face even higher fines.
There were almost 2000 fewer enforced immigration removals from the UK this year than in the comparable period under the last Labour government – from 15,252 in 2009 to 13,313 in 2013. The number of people stopped at the border and subsequently returned has gone down from 26,378 in 2009/10 to 14,473 in 2013/14.
In 2009/10, 2,254 were issued with civil penalties for knowingly employing illegal immigrants; in 2013/14 it had gone down to 2,090. The previous year it had slumped to just 1,247.
On Thursday night Jeremy Paxman accused the prime minister of failing to fulfil his promises on immigration targets, which Cameron was forced to concede.
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow her on Twitter
23 Responses to “The Tories have failed to crack down on illegal immigration”
Guest
It’s a phrase which is from the made-up men on your mind. As you call people outside your ideology as odd, and as you try to call for destroying large parts of London. And of a man who, while not nice, is evidently far nicer than you.
Guest
You agree with your other far right buddies, as you demand that facts not be facts because they’re uncomfortable for you.
damon
Moron, I don’t support anyone getting deported.
Even illegal immigrants. Let everyone come, I don’t really care.
damon
I don’t really see the point in the website really. They write some pretty off the wall, above the line pieces, and then just don’t comment further. Leaving it free for caricatures like Leon/Guest to crap all over any comments that are left here.
Guest
So, you’re that sort of bigot too, unsurprising.
And you support murdering people, I tend to forget that and accidentally assume you are not THAT nasty. my bad.