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 For the first time ever, thousands of immigrants, some of
the illegal, marched from Westminster Cathedral to Trafalgar
Square with the backing of faith leaders, politicians and
trade unionists, to call for a “pathway into citizenship”
for the 500,000-odd “undocumented migrants” in the
UK who have been left in legal limbo.
Some are refused asylum-seekers, others visa overstayers.
Some are in London having escaped poverty, others persecution.
Many work and pay taxes (using false IDs or NI numbers); others
face poverty. But what they have in common is that they have
put down roots in the UK yet are not recognised by the law.
“Strangers into Citizens” – a campaign
by London Citizens – has a proposal to get them out of
that limbo, for their good as well as that of society. We
have studied what has been done elsewhere in Europe –
Spain, for example, legalised 700,000 people in 2005 –
and have our own proposal: that those who have been in the
UK for more than four years should be able to work legally
for two years and then (subject to employer or character references,
criminal record checks, an English test and so on) be given
“leave to remain”. This model of “earned regularisation”
has been successfully implemented in the US among other countries
and we think would work well in the UK.
Why regularise? The first point is that there is no real
alternative. The Greater London Authority estimates the number
of irregular migrants in London to be around 380,000. Deportation
– many people’s knee-jerk “solution” to
illegal immigration – is simply not tenable. Forcibly
removing someone is an elaborate and expensive business, which
is why there are at most 20,000 deportations a year. Writing
about the campaign in the Guardian recently, Polly Toynbee
described the UK’s policy as “phoney” because
“it claims to deport people when in truth it doesn't
and it can't.”
Many migrants have been here for years, put down roots,
and sudden deportations cause local outrage: armed guards
marched into a Camberwell primary school last month and snatched
a 10-year-old boy. Long-residing failed asylum seeking families
are targeted because they don't hide from authorities and
are easy to deport to make up numbers, while violent criminals
roam free.
Strangers into Citizens starts from elsewhere. Given that
long-term irregular migrants are net contributors to the UK
economy and are part of our society, we argue that it makes
sense to recognise their legal status. Migrants are taken
out of a limbo of uncertainty and fear; the authorities can
concentrate on deporting criminals; unscrupulous employers
are exposed; the minimum wage is easier to enforce; good employers
can take on the labour they need; the Government benefits
from the influx of unpaid taxes; and people who belong to
our society – who work in our offices and factories,
who worship in our schools and mosques – are able to
play a full role in it.
The main objection to the idea is that it would act as a
magnet on further illegal immigration. But talk to irregular
migrants – as we have been doing for months, collecting
the stories here on our website – and you’ll see
why in practice it doesn’t. Migrants do not come in search
of citizenship but work and opportunity. Where they find it,
they end up staying. No one would cross the world to the UK
in the hope of becoming a citizen in six years’ time.
Their needs are more immediate and pressing than that.
Following Spain’s regularisation in 2005 numbers of
illegal immigrants actually dropped – and the fiscal
benefits were so great the social security deficit has been
cleared.
The 7 May rally put on display the breadth of support for
the campaign. Church leaders – including Cardinal Cormac
Murphy-O’Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, and Bishop
Tom Butler of Southwark – spoke passionately in favour
of recognising the rights and dignity of all people, including
the undocumented. Jon Cruddas MP and Baroness Shirley Williams
added their voices to those of the trade union leaders, Jack
Dromey of the TGWU and Dave Prentis of UNISON. Lewis Alsamari,
the Iraq-born star of United 93, spoke of his long struggle
to be legal. Billy Bragg sang Bob Marley.
The crowd was vast (the media reported 20,000) and colourful.
Union Jacks jostled with banners and placards. Even as the
heavens opened there was a light, carnival atmosphere. People
spoke of coming out into the light, of the relief of knowing
that there were faith leaders and others who understood what
it was like to live in a dehumanising limbo of fear and uncertainty.
The Government has rejected the idea of an “amnesty”,
but Strangers into Citizens has never proposed a general amnesty
but a pathway into citizenship for long-term migrants. A motion
has been laid in Parliament which has so far attracted more
than 40 MPs of all parties. There is talk of a committee in
the Lords to advance the campaign.
Where will it lead? It’s hard to know. But the campaign
has put the issue of undocumented migrants squarely on the
political table. Sooner or later, regularisation will have
to be taken seriously.
For migrants who are having trouble accessing free healthcare
please click
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