Illegal immigrants can take advantage of an incentive scheme
to leave Britain under packages, including free flights, money to start up
businesses and help with finding schools for their children.
The Home Office offers failed asylum seekers and those who
overstay their visa an amnesty from arrest if they attend meetings to discuss
their return.
Anyone who leaves voluntarily could be allowed back into the
UK in as little as two years, while those who are arrested and deported face a
10 year ban.
The Daily Mail reports that a senior immigration official
has appeared on a spiritual guru’s TV show to promote the Voluntary Returns
Scheme.
Richard Lederle, leader of the South-East England
immigration compliance and enforcement team, recently appeared on a cable TV
show called Spiritual Live to advertise the Home Office’s new stance.
He told guru Shri RajRajeshwar Guruji: ‘We’ve changed the
approach over the past six to 12 months, where we are running these surgeries
within the communities to give this free advice to those who find themselves in
an increasingly difficult situation and here illegally.
‘What you get with the Voluntary Returns Service is a more
tailored, bespoke package specific to the individual needs of that case. That
would include potential medical assistance, certainly if there’s family, and in
terms of potential reintegration, we’re looking at education costs, possible
work placements on return to country of origin.’
Mr Lederle added: ‘There has to be a benefit. If you’re
returned through the enforced route, you face almost inevitably a ten-year
return ban. The benefits could be a reduction to as little as two years. You
can talk face-to-face without fear of being arrested. Let’s be absolutely clear
on that point, if they are willing to turn up to those surgeries, they will not
be arrested.’
While some critics argue that the generous terms of the
Voluntary Returns Scheme is a bribe that sends out the message that it is
acceptable to be in the UK illegally, the Home Office has little choice but to
offer incentives to the estimate 1 million visa overstayers and illegal
immigrants currently living in the UK. Human rights appeals can add hundreds of
thousands of pounds and even millions to the final bill.
It costs the taxpayer an average of £10,000 to find and
deport an illegal immigrant according to the think tank, ippr, which a few
years ago estimated that it will cost £5 billion and 20 years to deport 500,000
overstayers.
Nurses needed in the UK
One category of migrant the UK does not want to send home is nurses. The NHS and private sector are recruiting nurses now and offering working visas to candidates with ILETS 7.00 in ALL bands (no exceptions) and initial NMC registration. for further information on the NMC process see -
