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Britain Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrants
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Britain cracks down on illegal
immigrants |
LONDON, April 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The British government on Friday published a bill containing tough measures to crack down on illegal immigrants, highlighting its determination that Britain should not be seen as a "soft touch," news agencies reported.
It includes a proposal first unveiled last year for a new "citizenship pledge" ceremony in which immigrants would have to swear allegiance to the monarch and pledge to uphold Britain's laws and democratic values.
Under the measures it will be compulsory to learn English for those who wanted to apply for citizenship.
Immigration officers would have new powers to enter businesses to search for illegal immigrants, and the maximum jail term for people convicted of harboring illegal immigrants would rise from six months to 14 years.
Home Secretary David Blunkett said in a statement: "This is not about creating 'fortress Britain'.
"We are an open, trading nation, and we will continue to meet our obligations -- along with the rest of the international community -- to provide a safe haven to people fleeing persecution.
"But we will not be seen as a soft touch."
Under the new laws, airlines will have to obtain clearance for passengers before they begin their journeys.
Carriers will be obliged to check passengers' details against a database to confirm they pose no known immigration or security risk.
The legislation is detailed in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, which was published Friday and which will now go before parliament for debate and approval.
It comes after interior ministers and senior officials from the 15-nation European Union and 10 east Asian countries attended a two-day meeting last week to coordinate efforts against illegal immigration.
The meeting in Costa Teguise, a seaside resort on Lanzarote, one of Spain's Canary Islands, was hosted by the Spanish EU presidency in the run-up to an ASEM summit of Asian and European leaders in Copenhagen on September 22-24.
Spanish officials said the meeting was seeking to issue a declaration laying out a system for European and Asian governments to coordinate efforts against illegal immigration.
"The European and Asian ministers will exchange experiences on the general situation with regards to migration, its related causes, effects and problems, and initiatives for cooperation," a Spanish Interior Ministry statement said.
Besides reviewing legal channels for migration, they debated "the routes and procedures used" by illegal immigrants heading to Europe, and addressed "the need to cooperate in the fight against delinquent organizations which traffic in human beings," it said.
Millions try to enter the wealthy nations of Western Europe as job-hunters or asylum-seekers every year, with eastern Europeans and North Africans being the most visible among them on the continent.
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