Government publishes illegal immigrant estimate
There are 430,000 illegal immigrants living in the UK, according to official Government estimates.
The Home Office has published a report on the size of Britain’s illegal immigrant population for the first time today.
Obtaining the figure is something Prime Minister Tony Blair had previously said was not possible.
Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said: “No government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who may be in the country illegally. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately, and that remains the case.”
He explained that the estimate, which does not include asylum seekers who are appealing against a refusal, was equivalent to 0.7 per cent of the UK’s total population.
“As the report makes clear, this is only an estimate and should not be seen as a definitive figure,” he added.
“It is a useful contribution to the debate and it underlines the need for a robust ID card scheme which will, among other benefits, help tackle illegal working and immigration.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said the Government would have to look at introducing an amnesty for long-term illegal immigrants.
“The Government has got to face facts. The resources don’t exist to deport half a million people, and many of these individuals will have been here for years and have children,” he said.
“The Government must grasp the nettle and look seriously at an amnesty for long-term illegal residents in exchange for much tougher border controls in the future.”
