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UK immigrant amnesty 'worth £3bn'



It would cost the UK £4.7bn to deport all illegal immigrants
Granting amnesty to long-term illegal immigrants in the UK, could add up to £3bn to the economy, a report has said.
The London School of Economics report said the move would not lead to a rise in migration but would raise spending on welfare services and housing.
About 618,000 people are illegally in the UK, of which 442,000 are in London.
London Mayor Boris Johnson commissioned the study and said it proved immigrants were "far from a financial burden" and had highlighted "long-overdue facts".
This new report has introduced some long overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has far too often been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay
Boris Johnson
The study found that if a five-year residency plan was introduced 67% of illegal immigrants would be eligible to live in the UK.
Mr Johnson said: "This new report has introduced some long-overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has far too often been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay.
"So, far from a financial burden, as some suggest, this new research has found an amnesty could be worth up to £3bn a year to the country's economy.
"The study also demolishes the argument that an amnesty would inevitably lead to increased migration to the UK and identifies effective border controls as the vital factor in controlling and deterring illegal immigration."
Mayoral policy director Anthony Browne says the amnesty's cost could be contained
London Assembly chairman Darren Johnson welcomed the report's publication.
He said: "This report lends further economic weight to the argument in favour of regularising the status of hundreds of thousands of Londoners who are already making a significant contribution to the capital's wealth."
Previously, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas had said the mayor's call for amnesty was "naive" and would lead to more trafficking of people.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The policy on an amnesty for illegal immigrants remains unchanged and is very clear - there will be no amnesty, those here illegally should go home.
"We have a proud tradition of offering sanctuary to those who truly need our help, but to grant an amnesty would create a significant pull factor to the UK and would undermine the asylum system as a whole."
According to the National Audit Office, the deportation of all illegal immigrants would cost the UK £4.7bn.
Since 1998, 111,265 illegal entrants have been deported, at the cost to the UK of £11,000 per person.









Make immigrants legal - Cardinal

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said migrants can be 'easily exploited'
Long-term immigrants should be given British citizenship, according to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor spoke out after Mayor of London Boris Johnson mooted an amnesty for immigrants.
The cardinal told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme many newcomers to the country were "vulnerable" and needed support.
However, Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said talk of an amnesty was "frankly irresponsible".
"The experience of other countries like Italy and Spain is that amnesties simply produce yet more applicants every time," he said.
Migrationwatch estimates an amnesty would cost the taxpayer at least £500 million in extra benefit payments but supporters of such a move say it would boost the economy.
But Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said there was a responsibility for the country to welcome immigrants to "appreciate the gifts that they bring and also make sure that in some way they are supported".
He continued: "A lot of the people who come are quite vulnerable and can easily be threatened and exploited.
"But I think also there is a point here about some migrants who come here and are here for years and they are undocumented.
"After a certain time a way should be given for them to receive citizenship here and so get the benefits of that."
Last week, Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced advisers were studying the potential benefits of an amnesty for the UK's estimated 700,000 illegal immigrants.
He said allowing long-term illegal immigrants to earn the right to stay in Britain would see "hugely increased" tax revenues, setting him against Conservative leader David Cameron.
However, immigration minister Phil Woolas has said any amnesty could lead to more people being exploited by traffickers.
He has previously suggested the UK population could be limited to 70 million.