London Politics

Ahead of a major policy on immigration at City Hall Mayor Johnson has announced that an amnesty for long-term illegal immigrants could be worth as much as £3billion to GDP and £846 million in additional tax revenue a year.

A London School of Economics study commissioned by Mayor Johnson, to assess the potential benefits of an amnesty. It estimates there are 618,000 irregular migrants in the UK and 442,000 in London – the equivalent of the number of residents in Camden and Harrow boroughs.  

The report found London is disproportionately affected by illegal immigration with an estimated 71 per cent of illegal immigrants in the UK living in London and identified the impact of this on the capital’s economy, employment and public services.

The report found border controls are a vital factor in controlling immigration and an amnesty would not lead to increased migration unless border controls were ineffective. It also found that 67 per cent of irregular migrants might be eligible for an amnesty if a 5-year residency rule were applied as part of the regularisation programme.

Boris 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 £3 billion 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.”

The immigration issue in the capital and across the UK played  prominently  during the European parliamentary elections which saw extreme right parties like the BNP win two seats on the back of growing concern at immigration levels.

photo credit: London Daily News