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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

28 February 2008

When I'm out and about in Dover and Deal or knocking on doors in the surrounding villages, a lot of people still ask me about immigration and the need to address the abuses that occur.

In any twelve month period a massive 200 million people move from one country to another, and like other parts of the world the UK is affected by this movement.

Some people are reluctant to discuss immigration for fear of being labelled as nasty right wingers or being called racist – but this issue affects all British people of all backgrounds so as long as our motives are just and we are careful with our language it’s perfectly proper to discuss the pros and cons of immigration.

That’s why I've welcomed the Home Secretary’s announcement which sets out a new deal for citizenship, proposing radical changes to the way newcomers are able to earn their stay in Britain.

I think most people are clear about the values we want newcomers to sign up to – they include working hard and paying tax, obeying the law, getting involved with the community and being able to speak basic English.

In her announcement, Jacqui Smith spelled out the Home Office’s three stage route to citizenship which includes a new probationary period of citizenship, requiring new migrants to demonstrate their contribution to the UK at every stage or risk having to leave the country.

When the new system starts, full access to benefits will be delayed until migrants have completed the probationary period and they will be expected to improve their command of English before they can move out of their probationary status.

And the rules applying to lawbreakers will be firmed up with minor offences triggering an extension of probation and immigrants found guilty of more serious crimes being barred from citizenship and removed from the country.

Leaving out nasty fascist groups like the British National Party, there is now cross party consensus that migration is good for us and our economy, especially if there are short-term shortages in certain sectors, like IT specialists, the care sector or plumbers etc.

But we also need to think about the effect on our local communities and public services and my constituents want to know that our immigration system is being controlled in a way that works to the benefit of Britain.

We are introducing a new points system so that only those we need can come to work and study in the UK and there will be sweeping changes to our border protection system with the introduction of a single border force whose officers will be given police-like powers.

Alongside all these improvements we will be tightening visa controls and in future, none will be issued without comprehensive questioning and fingerprint checks.

Taken as a whole this package of reforms will crack down on and deter those who seek to abuse our hospitality while providing a warm welcome to genuine migrants who want to share our values and become hard working, law abiding citizens.