Prime Minister David Cameron is to tackle the immigration policy designed to help millions of working people by putting new laws to control immigration una speech later this morning  as part of proposed new bill the Queen speech state opening of parliament, next week, Downing Street sources reveal. But not many are convinced it will help address the main issue of influx of migrants from EU lowering wages in Britain

In his first speech on immigration since his reelection with conservative working majority, Mr Cameron will say this morning  ( Thursday 21 May) morning the new Bill will include a series of measures to control immigration and do more to target illegal migration.

 

The prime minster is expected to outline  his approach for a firm, but fair, immigration system designed to  tackle abuse by using levers across government to curtail access to public services ( including social benefits) ,  take action against employers who don’t play by the rules and remove more people with no right to be here.  At the same time, the .Government will reduce demand for migrant labour by ensuring British people have the right skills and training to fill those jobs while continuing to welcome the brightest and best to the UK. Mr Cameron will say that strong country isn’t one that pulls up the drawbridge but ” it is one that controls immigration.” His reasoning is that if you have uncontrolled immigration, you have uncontrolled pressure on public services.  He believes that is a basic issue of fairness. Mr Cameron is expected to say that uncontrolled immigration can damage our labour market and push down wages. “It means too many people entering the UK legally but staying illegally. The British people want these things sorted.”

The prime minster will say : “That means… dealing with those who shouldn’t be here by rooting out illegal immigrants and bolstering deportations.  Reforming our immigration and labour market rules in order to  reduce the demand for skilled migrant labour and crack down on the exploitation of unskilled workers. That starts with making Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally.  And we’re going to get far better at training our own people to fill these gaps from overseas. ”

 

Creating a  new criminal offence of illegal working will apply to migrants who have entered the country illegally and also those who came to the country legally but are in breach of their conditions or have overstayed.  It will deprive illegal migrants of their wages which will make it harder for them to stay in the UK.

 

Mr Cameron is expected to say that our one nation approach will be tougher, fairer and faster.  With this Immigration Bill, and our wider action, we will put an end to houses packed full of illegal workers; stop illegal migrants stalling deportation; give British people the skills to do the jobs Britain needs.  We are for working people.  For them, we will control and reduce immigration.”

However many expect critics to question Mr Cameron approach let alone his ability to deliver such promise s even if his Bill passed in the commons.

Mr Cameron pre-prepared speech remains vague in the practical way of implementation as how he can control European Union migrants’ pattern of work behaviour, taxation and dealing with their earned wages?

There are no reliable ways of measuring how many of EU migrants, especially from the former Eastern bloc,  are here, how they work and no mechanism to measure they are paying taxes or  getting paid cash-in-hand; whether they declare income and whether they get paid the minimum wage or below the limit .

 

Downing Street sources say  The measures will build on recent powers which have seen over 800 foreign criminals deported under ‘deport first appeal later’, shut down more than 850 bogus colleges, cracked down on illegal working and sham marriages, protected people from exploitation and made it harder for people to live in the UK illegally.

Again the wording of number 10 statement carefully avoids mentioning which type of migrants the Prime Minster means?

. From Within EU which his government is totally powerless to do anything about them  and even doubtful whether itb would be legal to block their social benefits?  Or migrants from outside the EU ?

The new legislation proposed by Mr Cameron in the new bill is designed to go further according to his office. It will give local authorities new powers to crackdown on unscrupulous landlords and evict illegal workers/migrants more quick and making all banks check bank accounts against databases of people here illegally. Again this is vague and unless the Prime Minister spells out details of how this can be implemented in his speech in 11 hours from now, hardly many would take this proposal seriously. Since most of migrants receive below minimum wage cash-in-hand to avoude paying tax, there is no need for them to have bank accounts in UK; which makes Mr Cameron new lays farcical.

In what he believes to be practical steps Mr Cameron proposes extending the “successful deport, first appeal later measures” to all immigration appeals and judicial reviews to stop people frustrating the system. Second measure is using Satellite tracking tags for foreign criminals awaiting deportation so we always know exactly where they are. Thirdly creating a new offence of illegal working to close the loophole which means people who are here illegally can’t benefit from working and police can seize wages as proceeds of crime. Another measure the Prime Minister wants to include is making it an offence for businesses and recruitment agencies to recruit abroad without advertising in the UK ( again the practical benefits of this is not clear: Under current EU rules the recruitment agencies must advertise throughout the EU not in Britain alone ; so by designing an advertisements which UK workers would find the ages too law, eastern or southern European would be first to get the jobs in UK while a few British workers can afford to work at such wage level, and the employment agency would still remain with the law )

Mr Cameron’s new bill proposes creating a new labour market enforcement agency to crack down on the worst cases of labour market exploitation.

On the new offence of illegal working the Prime Minister is expected to say  “Dealing with those who shouldn’t be here.

“That starts with making Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally.

 

“The truth is it has been too easy to work illegally and employ illegal workers here. So we’ll take a radical step – we’ll make illegal working a criminal offence in its own right.” Mr Cameron is expected to explain that it means wages paid to illegal migrants will be seized as proceeds of crime…“…and businesses will be told when their workers’ visas expire…”

The Prime Minister to warn : “…so if you’re involved in illegal working – employer or employee – you’re breaking the law.”

At the moment, migrants with current leave to remain who are working illegally in breach of their conditions may be prosecuted under section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971 and be liable on summary conviction to a 6 months’ custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. This leaves a gap in relation to migrants who entered illegally or have overstayed their leave, and are not therefore subject to current conditions of stay.  This new offence will address this gap and will also close a loophole whereby the wages of some illegal migrants fall outside of the scope of the confiscation provisions in the Proceeds of Crime Act, unlike those individuals who are working in breach of leave conditions.  It will also mean that people who are here illegally can’t benefit from working and police can seize wages as proceeds of crime.

No doubt many will raise questions about the tools to implement the proposed laws and whether it is meaningless since current EU treaties and agreements would make the government totally powerless in stopping EU migrants flooding British urban areas and likely to win their cases in court if the government tried to limit their social or local authorities payments.