Equality and Diversity
Assembly backs call for illegal immigrant amnesty
Members on the London Assembly today backed calls for a scheme to allow so-called irregular migrants “who have been in the UK for many years” to earn UK citizenship.
Assembly Members were voting on a motion brought put forward by Green Party AM Darren Johnson which called on the Mayor to join the Assembly in urging the UK Government to introduce “a one-off, time-limited, earned regularisation of suitable irregular migrants, many of whom live and work in London, which would allow those who have been in the UK for many years to be admitted to a two-year pathway to citizenship.”
The motion was backed by a coalition of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green AMs with sources close to Labour attempting to embarrass Conservatives on the Assembly for voting against the motion alongside BNP member Richard Barnbrook.
However Conservative AM Roger Evans told MayorWatch his group “believe the policy is unworkable without more details and stronger border controls to deal with the inevitable spike of people who would be tempted to follow the regularised migrants. In fact I expressed my sympathy and offered to discuss more constructive ways forward with the other parties. The government have not implemented the scheme for similar reasons.”
Evans added that “Barnbrook voted the same way but I don’t see why his decision should dictate the position taken by anyone else.”
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12 comments for “Assembly backs call for illegal immigrant amnesty”
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“sources close to Labour attempting to embarrass Conservatives on the Assembly for voting against the motion alongside BNP member Richard Barnbrook”
surely the conservatives did enough to embarrass themselves by voting with barnbrook???
I can’t see what’s wrong with allowing decent people who have lived here for donkeys’ year to follow a pathway to earn their rights to live as the rest of us.
My only explanation is selfishness only and nothing else: some people don’t give a damn what’s happening to their neighbours as long as they are fine. Nobody is here forever -live and let live
So every time Barnbrook votes one way we’ve all got to vote the other way regardless?
That’s giving him far more influence than he deserves - it’s also puerile and Londoners have a right to expect more maturity from members.
No wonder the first comment and the ’sources close to Labour’ want to remain anonymous. They should grow up.
A good number of Conservatives never even bothered to turn up.
anon , and what exactly is that supposed to mean, please enlighten us.
i think every body in the world deserve to have a safe life and if people from other country are here to save their live and still dont have it .they should have chance to try and see how much they can bring to this country.
‘every body in the world deserve to have a safe life’
nice sentiment but it’s not down to us to provide a nice life to everyone in the world.
Roger - why did half your group conveniently leave the chamber just before the vote was taken? anything to do with embarrassment?
and… are you not embarrassed that,according to the evening standard today, barnbrook said you “took the words out of his mouth” with your speech?
Roger,
Again. Well done. Totally common sense correct decision. Whether AM Barnbrook concurs is irrelevant.
Please continue to ignore the opposition and their silly games. It’s well gone time that someone stood up and challenged this nonsense head on.
You can see from ‘jeff’s’ perjorative use of ‘your’ that he’s just another opposition troll.
Jeff, only two of my group left just before the vote was taken, which is not even a fifth - I guess you weren’t there, so we must view your comment in that light.
Colin - thank you for your support. Gesture politics is going to get short shrift from me.
As for Barnbrook, if the government really didn’t want him, why did they introduce proportional representation? It’s not as if nobody warned them…
Proportional representation was introduced because the Government knew without it, the Greens would never get a seat on the Assembly.
Now it’s backfired, you have to put up with the consequences.
I strongly support the idea of amnesty for those who are in the first instance at work and who can show clearly that they are able to earn enough to keep themselves, I think if they are given five years to stay in the UK and after whichs their records should be checked for any crime or offence, then they could be given ILR (without benefit) for another five years. I am willing to work with the Mayor on this study (if given the opportunity).
Coming to a country illegally and working without a visa is a criminal offence.
Robbing banks is a criminal offence.
Would you give a bank robber amnesty because he has been doing the same job for a few years?
Giving illegal immigrants amnesty is rewarding people for braking the law. By giving illegal immigrants in London amnesty, you are inviting all the illegal immigrants in the country to come to London.
Also you are putting out a message to others illegal immigrants abroad to come here, because there is hope they will eventually be able to stay.
If you don’t want to be seen voting the same way as the BNP then scrap proportional representation. That way you will get rid of all the loony parties as Thomas said earlier.