Nick Clegg announces U-turn on illegal immigrant amnesty

 
25 March 2013
WEST END FINAL

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Nick Clegg tried to toughen his party’s stance on immigration today by announcing a U-turn on a policy to grant an amnesty to people living in the UK illegally.

He also unveiled plans to crack down on over-stayers by making some people pay bail-style bonds that would be forfeited for breaking the terms.

His move follows a string of polls showing immigration has soared to the top of floating voters’ concerns. But he appeared to clash with remarks made by Business Secretary Vince Cable in an interview today, in which he dismissed calls for migrant numbers to be reduced to the tens of thousands as a Tory stance.

At the 2010 election the party said any illegal immigrant who had been living in the UK for 10 years should be allowed to apply for citizenship.

In a candid speech, Mr Clegg admitted it had led to the Liberal Democrats being painted as too soft on illegal immigration.

“We called it an earned route to citizenship,” Mr Clegg told the Centre Forum think tank. “Our opponents dubbed it an ‘amnesty’.

“We felt it was an honest and pragmatic solution given the chaos in the Home Office. Better surely, we asked, to get them to pay their taxes and make a proper contribution to our society, than to continue to live in the shadows?

“But, despite the policy’s aims, it was seen by many people as a reward for those who have broken the law.

“And so it risked undermining public confidence in the immigration system.”

Mr Clegg said he had asked Andrew Stunell, the former integration minister, to lead a review of all immigration policies.

But the Business Secretary attacked Tory targets to cut net migration. He told the House magazine that David Cameron’s bid to bring numbers below 100,000 a year was “not government policy” and would cause “enormous damage” if implemented.

Mr Clegg insisted he and Mr Cable had discussed his speech yesterday and were “absolutely at one” on the decisions needed.

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