Sam Causton

Undocumented individuals are not necessarily undesirable elements of society, and are entitled to their rights as contributors to the economy

'We do benefit from immigrants but will only continue to benefit from them if we get [immigration] under control'. However unwittingly, Damien Green MP may have cottoned on to an integral deficiency in the present government's approach to immigration: its un-sustainability. There are, according to the latest estimates, 500,000 undocumented individuals in this country.

You may well know or have seen some of these people. They are likely to be found, contrary to popular belief, not committing crime or benefit fraud, but working in our offices, cleaning our hallways, serving the community, worshiping in our churches or more generally seeking to make a decent law-abiding life for themselves and their dependents.

The question then is what to do with them. Do we follow the scent, hunt them down and then thrust them out on to a boat, compass set for the nearest 'far away island'? This would likely be the opinion of 'Worcester woman', yet such an appraisal makes neither economic nor political sense, nor amounts to a sensible strategy for even the most weak-willed of 'compassionate conservatives'. Indeed, whilst such an approach might catch digitalised headlines in the editor’s office, on the ground the only thing captured by this policy would be hot air: self-evidently, this is not a viable strategy for the twenty-first century. The Strangers into Citizens campaign, being run by the London and Birmingham Citizens organizations, has its own answer: for undocumented migrants who have lived in the country for over 4 years, can speak reasonable English and do not have a criminal record, i.e. who have become full members of the UK community, to be able to earn a pathway into citizenship.

As even Damien Green would agree, immigrants - in all their manifestations - have a pivotal role to play in the new global era in which we all live. Moreover, as the National Crime Intelligence Service has summarised, the total loss to the Exchequer from undocumented workers in unpaid tax and national insurance contributions could amount to as much as £3.3 billion. The Treasury is missing a trick, especially when compared with the alternative - the Home Cffice’s own figures show the deportation of the 'shadowy 500,000' would take 25 years and cost in the region of £5.5 billion.

Current policies are morally unsustainable and a humane alternative is required. All working people in the UK ought to have access to basic rights - the minimum wage, fair employment conditions, basic healthcare, education for their children, the ability to call on the police force if they are in danger. Undocumented migrants are left open to the worst forms of exploitation. The deserved regularisation we are calling for would improve the cohesiveness of our society, make the economy more effective and is the only decent option we have. The House of Commons should build upon, rather than shy away from, the legislative foundations of a fourteen-year residency threshold currently in place: a one off earned regularisation must be granted to those who speak English, have no criminal record and have resided in this country for four years or more.

LSE students, through the Citizens for Social Justice society, are joining the national campaign for earned regularisation of these thousands of exploited members of our society. The first thing we are doing is gathering signatures to add to an 8,000-strong national petition to lawmakers.

Such a policy is not fantastical. Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg has supported a similar approach whilst three of the Deputy Leadership candidates for the Labour Party - John Cruddas, Harriet Harman and Alan Johnson, as well as over 100 MPs through an early day motion - have expressed their support. So yes, Mr. Green, the country might well choose to bring immigration back under 'control'. But at the same time, don't forget what is perhaps more important: the contribution of undocumented migrants must be officially recognised through citizenship, thereby giving these people, people who help to make London and the country what it is, a chance to take control over their lives again.

If you're interested in joining the campaign, join our Facebook group or e-mail Sam Causton at s.j.causton@lse.ac.uk