66% of those polled believe that those who work and pay taxes should be allowed to stay. 67% said those who have been here for more than four years and who work should be allowed to stay. The same percentage believe asylum-seekers should be allowed to work.

The poll showed that only 21% think the Government is doing a good job in handling immigration. It also showed that the British people favour a crackdown on benefit cheats, but view asylum seekers and overstayers favourably as long as they work and pay taxes.

Strangers into Citizens is calling for a pathway into citizenship – via a two-year work permit – for migrants who have been in the UK for more than four years. The campaign has the backing of leading church figures, as well as the Mayor of London, and some businesses and trade unions.

The campaign’s co-ordinator, Austen Ivereigh, said:

“What this poll shows is that British people welcome immigrants who work and who are part of society. That is precisely the case with long-term undocumented migrants, who have put down roots in Britain because they have found work and opportunity here.”

Naturalisation programmes have been carried out by a number of European countries. Since 1981 there have been more than 20 “regularisations” in France, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. The largest and most recent was Spain’s in 2005, which regularised 700,000.

The Home Office estimates there are around 500,000 “illegal immigrants”, a combination of visa overstayers and refused asylum seekers, and admits it does not have the resources to deport them (current deportations run at 25,000 a year).

Strangers into Citizens has been highlighting the plight of what it calls the “shadow people”, who are condemned – often for years – to a limbo of fear and furtiveness. Most long-term overstayers work and pay taxes, using false IDs. Refused asylum seekers – many of whom are unwilling or unable to return – often face destitution because they are unable to work. A number of the stories have been collected on www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk.

The campaign is holding a National Day of Action and Celebration on 7 May, following a Mass at Westminster Cathedral celebrated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and London’s other Catholic bishops. Among the speakers at a rally in Trafalgar Square will be Baroness Shirley Williams, Jack Dromey, deputy general-secretary of the TGWU, and the Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler.

Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, said:

“This poll is a ringing endorsement of what IAS has recommended to Government over many years, namely that those who work illegally should be regularised in the interests of the British taxpayer (as it could add £1 billion to the Exchequer each year) and in their own interests as it lends dignity to be able to work. “

He added:

“Many asylum seekers and others come from a culture where there are no free handouts and they are used to working to provide for themselves and their families – it is a form of rehabilitation having escaped from appalling circumstances. All asylum seekers should be allowed to fend for themselves by working if possible – to refuse to let them do so is vindictive and leads to tensions in our society. We are delighted that two-thirds of the British public agree with IAS. The Government should wake up and realise that there is more support for social inclusion than for social exclusion.”

The poll results have also been welcomed by institutes which have argued for regularisation.

The Institute for Public Policy Research last year published a report arguing the case for the UK to regularise.

Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow on the Migration team at IPPR said:

“Politicians of all parties have always argued that negative public opinion stops them from regularising the status of long-term irregular migrants. The Strangers into Citizens Poll challenges this belief, and shows that the British public will accept an amnesty – as long as migrants pay taxes. Its now high time Government considers regularisation as the only economically viable policy option.”

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants has also produced a policy paper arguing for regularisation. Habib Rahman, JCWI’s chief executive, said:

“This poll makes clear that just talking tough will not be enough to fob off the UK public on immigration. They want the political parties to get real and respond in a way that is workable and fair to migrants who are living as members of our society. We hope this will persuade politicians from across the spectrum to show leadership and at least re-open the debate on regularisation.”

Sandy Buchan, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said:

"This poll shows that the government's position of not allowing asylum seekers to work is clearly unpopular with the public. Refugee Action believe that the government should grant a legal status with the right to work to refused asylum seekers who cannot return home. There is also no evidence that allowing permission to work will encourage abusive applications as the government seems to think."
Sandy Buchan, CEO, Refugee Action

NOTES FOR EDITORS

REGULARISATION

There are estimated to be 4.5 million irregular migrants living and working in European Union member states – about one per cent of the population. Most have overstayed their visas or fallen through the cracks of the asylum system, although some have entered illicitly. The growing trend of irregular migration has been driven by poverty, political instability and lack of opportunity in poor countries, combined with low birth-rates and demand for labour in the EU.

Since 1981 more than 20 regularisation programmes in France, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and the UK have provided nearly 4m irregular migrants with either temporary or permanent living and working permits. Some have been exceptional humanitarian programmes, such as Britain’s “family amnesty” in 2003 which benefited 50,000 asylum seekers with children. Large-scale regularisations, such as Spain’s in 2005 (which benefited 700,000 people) have a short application window and a strict set of criteria. Strangers into Citizens is proposing an “earned regularisation” programme of the sort which offer provisional work permits to migrants who become permanent by having stable employment, passing language tests, etc.

Regularisations aim to reduce the size of the undocumented population and the underground economy, to increase tax and social security contributions, to improve the human rights and dignity of migrants, to strengthen the rule of law and national security, and to fulfill labour market needs. Regularisations have curbed employer exploitation while improving the upward mobility and social integration of migrants.

Critics of regularisation object that it “rewards” law-breaking and encourage further irregular migration. But migration experts assert that economic factors, not regularisation, are the primary pull factors in illegal immigration, and point to the equal increase in numbers of illegal immigrants in countries which have not had large-scale regularisations.

There are estimated to be 4.5 million irregular migrants living and working in European Union member states – about one per cent of the population. Most have overstayed their visas or fallen through the cracks of the asylum system,

POLL DETAILS


Results are based on a telephone survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,004 British adults aged 18

Interviews conducted 21st – 23rd April 2007

Data are weighted to reflect the age, gender and geographic profile of each country.

Full results and a PowerPoint analysis are available at www.opinion.co.uk/newsroom

ORB are members of the British Polling Council and abide by their Code of Conduct