Nick Clegg: We need immigration system that mirrors nation’s values

In 2015 people will know that a vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for an immigration system they can believe in – a vote for a tolerant Britain that is zero-tolerant towards abuse. The student route was riddled with holes so we’re cracking down on bogus colleges.

UK Border Agency officers visited a college which had requested permission to bring in over 200 students. How many did they find studying that day? Two.

Since 2010, almost 600 colleges have been removed from the list of registered visa sponsors. While we have to be realistic about UKBA’s enforcement budget in the current climate, we’re making sure money is better spent by reducing the opportunity for long, vexatious and costly appeals by those who have been refused the right to remain in Britain while still safeguarding the right to a fair hearing. We’re cracking down on the profiteers. The coalition will increase the cash penalties for unscrupulous employers who hire illegal immigrants because they’re cheaper. Currently, the maximum fine is £10,000 per illegal worker. I’ve asked the Home Secretary to look into the right amount, but personally I’d like to see it double.

Employers need to get the message: they have an inescapable duty to employ people who are working here legally and not to turn a blind eye to those working illegally. And I’m determined that our police can come down on the criminal gangs who smuggle and traffic people into the country.

We’re currently reviewing policing co-operation with our European partners, but I’m clear that we must not jeopardise any arrangements that help us tackle this kind of cross-border crime.

Criminals go across borders; so must we. In addition to these crackdowns, I can also confirm we’re looking at a powerful new tool to help deal with the problem of people overstaying on their visas.

Visa overstayers make up a major part of UKBA’s enforcement caseload – clogging up the system.

As early as 2006 we had reports from Select Committees arguing that visa overstaying would be one of the biggest challenges for our immigration system in the 21st century. The challenge isn’t just stopping people coming into Britain illegally. It’s about dealing with individuals who come over legitimately but then become illegal once they’re already here.

One idea, which appeals to me, is a system of security bonds. The basic premise is simple: on certain cases, when a visa applicant is coming from a high risk country, in addition to satisfying the normal criteria, UKBA would be able to request a deposit – a kind of cash guarantee. Once the visitor leaves Britain, the bond will be repaid.

Clearly, we need to look into the detail. The bonds would need to be well-targeted – so that they don’t unfairly discriminate against particular groups. The amounts would need to be proportionate – we mustn’t penalise legitimate visa applicants who will struggle to get hold of the money. Visiting Britain to celebrate a family birth, or a relative’s graduation, or wedding should not become entirely dependant on your ability to pay the security bond.

And I would want a system that is welcomed by legitimate visitors rather than place a great burden on them. Done right, this would speed up the application process giving UKBA greater confidence about people’s intentions and allowing them to make better, faster decisions. In today’s world, illegal immigration happens in different ways – and we need to think innovatively to keep up.

The Government is also looking at the access migrants have to services and benefits.

Fairness isn’t just about what people put into the system – it’s what also about what they take out.

This work is extremely complex. Labour left us a huge, unwieldy welfare state, full of contradiction. In some place the arrangements are already quite strict. In others they are much more loose and opaque. So now we are systematically working through to see where reform is necessary. No decisions have been taken yet but I want to make clear that this is very much a coalition agenda, with both sides working together. For the Liberal Democrats, it is entirely right that we close loopholes and ensure that the welfare system is not open to abuse.

In conclusion, we are grappling with the difficult challenges in our immigration system. Brick by brick, we are rebuilding it. Day by day we are making sure, quite simply, that it works.

All the British people ask is for a system they can have confidence in. We hear that, and we are delivering it. I’m determined we lay the foundations for an immigration system that embodies this nation’s instincts and its values – our openness and tolerance on one hand; our sense of fair play, on the other.

*This is an edited extract from Mr Clegg’s keynote speech on immigration