UK govt. slammed over crackdown on migrant workers
The British government’s plans to crack down on “illegal immigrants” working in the UK has triggered criticism from activists and political figures.
The Tory government has unveiled plans to jail migrants who work illegally in England and Wales as part of a forthcoming immigration bill.
Under the new law, people working illegally in the UK will face up to six months in prison.
The bill, which is supposed to be introduced in the autumn, will also include measures against businesses which employ illegal migrants.
‘Scapegoating migrants’
Lee Jasper, a London-based rights activist and politician believes that the British politicians are “scapegoating” the migrants to “reinforce their political position”.
‘Once again we see that Liberal politicians here in the United Kingdom are willing to pander to racism in order to reinforce their political position at the expense of migrants who are indeed poor and working class communities of the United Kingdom,” Lee Jasper told Press TV’s UK Desk on Tuesday.
‘Trans-Atlantic slavery’
“The government refuses to do anything about exploitative employers who employ migrants in this country and pay them a property wage in conditions more like trans-Atlantic slavery… The fact is that the government has perfected the means of continuously scapegoating migrant communities,” he noted.
‘Pressure on prison system’
Meanwhile, MEP Steven Woolfe, the Immigration spokesman for Ukip said the proposed plan will simply pile up more pressure on the prison system.
"This has to be one of pat stupid ideas yet from a Government utterly bereft of a clue on how to deal with the migration crisis. Sending illegally working immigrants to gaol will cost a fortune, put huge pressure on the prison system, add treacle to the already gummed up courts system with the possibility of remand and appeals stretching into a Human Rights Act horizon and keep the immigrants on our shores,” he was quoted as saying by the British media.
"Instead the Government should deport them. If they are illegally working they have broken the law. Yes it is that simple," he added.
UK under fire over migrants
The United Kingdom has already been under fire from rights activists and international rights groups over its treatment of migrants.
Back in December, the UN’s special rapporteur for migrants’ rights François Crépeau censured the British government immigration policies, saying they have endangered the lives of migrants.
The British government has also been accused of doing too little to protect migrants workers.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch, migrants working in the UK face serious abuses including forced labor.
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