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It's too easy for migrants to stay here, says Woolas
12.03.09
Immigration minister Phil Woolas has admitted that it's "too easy" for foreigners to stay in Britain.
Mr Woolas also conceded that he did not know exactly how many EU nationals from Eastern Europe
were working in the UK.
Appearing before the Commons EU Scrutiny Committee, Woolas was pressed by Tory MP Anthony Steen on why there are no exit visas in place.
Britain counts those coming into the country but fails to record those leaving.
Mr Woolas said: "The problem with the public debate is it's too often seen as too easy to get into this country.
"My view is it's too easy to stay in this country because of a lack, in the past and to some extent now, of border controls...in terms of whether or not a person is over-staying."
Mr Woolas went on to say that "enormous amounts of effort" focusing on those entering the country, but "not on counting people out."
He swiftly added that Government policy was now "directed at the heart of that issue."
Reader views (22)
Sue Shah - maybe the reason you can't get a job is because you don't have the skills or personality required. I'm entirely British and have never had trouble getting a job - mostly because I work hard, update my skills and know how to communicate with people.
It's all to easy to blame foreigners - but they only get the jobs because they are better at them than British people.
- Liberal And Proud, London, UK
its sad,really sad.i will never return.
- Ian, ex-pat, dustbin of the world.
Mr Woolas many thanks for the consideration of the burning question. Please consider the hardworkers regular tax payer, crimeless,command on english, whatever they are.Students are the most pitiful, spending lot of money on eduction, some of them are under debt. Those who have submitted fake and factitious documents just to claim asylum i.e domestic voilance, single mother . They are burden on economy and society. Stop all sort of benefits come and work and pay tax. Benefit should be consider in special case. Work is worship.
Solve this issue at earliest so more peoples should pay tax.
- M A Sular, London
The government has turned a bling eye and a deaf ear.
I am looking for work and can't find anything even paying £17,000 a year. Yet a non-British has found work. They government is encouraging to give work to non-british or non-eu workers.
look at how many non-eu board the buses and once they get the passport the next stage is to call their families.
- Sue Shah, Wembley
So it's only taken 12yrs for the penny to drop eh! Next thing you'll be telling us that if you don't teach kids discipline then crime increases......
- Mark, London
The government paid lip-service to controlling immigration during the boom years but actually welcomed it because it was cheap labour for farmers and businessmen who got rich whilst the public services consumed by immigrants were paid for by the ordinary British tax-payer - the businessmen who got rich didn't pay tax because they employed accountants to avoid it, This cynical process added 1% to GD but now we have a gigantic social and economic problem.
- Richard, Welling, Kent
The understatement of the century! When is New Labour going to put that right?
- Vince, London, West London area
Well, Mr Woolas in that case why did you allow this situation to arise? Hundreds of "students" arrive, never attend the places where they are supposed to be studying and then disappear. It is not rocket science to check on whether they are attending college or not so why are you not doing it. It is going to get to the stage that before renting anyone accommodation the estate agents are going to have to ask to see passports to see whether people are legitimately here. It would appear that this Government does not care how many checks, CCTV cameras etc are in place to check on people legitimately going about their business but do not ask them to check on whether people are illegal immigrants or not because then accusations of racism and xenophobia rain down.
- Patricia, LONDON
For how many years has this bunch of lazy incompetants who govern has been in denial regarding immigration. Time and time again they have concealed the true figures and of course the reason why workers stop here and not elsewhere
At least a lot do work eg NHS but the others ! they are on benefits and this Nation will evenually be submerged under the weight of benefit seekers
- Peter French, Orihuela Costa Spain
That is, thanks to successive governments who have given our country to the EU. Pity it is not the seventeen hundreds when they'd all have hanged for treason.
If it has taken them to the 12/03/09 to start to see what they have done, how did these brainless chickens get into power? sorry, I shouldn't insult the chickens.
- Maria, London
The only reason our NHS is full of immigrants is not because they are the only ones willing to work there, but becuase they want to live here. Anyone would think they are doing us a favour. They're doing themselves a favour because they earn more and they have a better life. Once here they bring there relatives over to join them. So no more rubbish about us not wanting to work in the NHS, people left in droves because they were not being paid for what they were doing. This government is now very frightened. It can see now that people will not be fooled any more. We will be voting for a party that puts this country first above all else. Phil Woolas will not be smiling much longer.
- Sylvia, Epping Essex
my god Mr Woolas is incompetant! The one guy in the whole parliament with ultimate responsibility for knowing the numbers.....does not know the numbers? How can it be that this guy even has the intelligence to put his pants on in the morning? Just another illustration of the total unsuitablity for the post of Minister, that 99% of the current administration seem to have.
- Gary, amersham
He should in fact make it easier for immigrants to come and settle here. They're the ones keeping this country afloat through their hard work.
Immmigrants are willing to do jobs that Brits consider beneath them.
No immigrants -> no NHS, no rubbish collection, no transport, no nothing.
Time for the truth.
- Alan, Islington
EVEN EASIER FOR US TAXPAYERS TO KEEP A LOT OF THEM.
- P Staker, London, SW8
Easy for some! My father is English eventhough I'm South African. I have to complete 5 years on an Ancestral Visa, then another year on Indefinite Leave to Remain before I can apply for British citizenship - all of which come at a very hefty price tag. I love England and the UK and have worked, paid tax, abided by English law and integrated into my local community for all the years I've been here and will continue to do so. Why so difficult for me - who has ties to England and the United Kingdom - but, so easy for others with no ties?
- Nf, London
How typical of this government to create a problem, then to say the problem they created is a problem. Someone please remove these clowns from power.
- Brandon Thomas, London
It will be very easy to remove the political correct Labour government from power, forever.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
Also as mentioned on 'Despatches', they get invited to register for a vote and then all vote for LABOUR. Nothing like a bit of corruption. No checks on anything, I truly despair at such a useless Government full of no hopers.
- Roger, Surrey
The government should know because was it not a few years ago that the east Europeans would have to register to work in the UK or is another lie by this Labour government to allow East Europeans to enter and work and then silently do away with the registration requirement?
- Peter Noterfed, paris, France
And the award for stating the obvious and ignoring people's concerns over the past 50 years of failed immigration policy goes too.......
- Lb, London
How long did it take him to work that out? Talk about stating the flaming obvious!
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
"It's too easy for migrants to stay here, says Woolas"- Yes it is, Mr Woolas, thanks entirely to YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
