LONDON, England -- Three hundred and fifty new immigration officers will be hired to crack down on illegal immigrants in the UK while 440 police officers will be redirected to tackle immigration issues.
That’s the plan of action unveiled by UK Home Secretary, John Reid, yesterday. "These measures are the next step in a comprehensive strategy building on the commitment that I made in July to transform the Immigration Nationality Directorate and boost its enforcement capability to ensure we tackle illegal immigration and provide a fair and effective immigration system fit for the 21st century," said Reid.
The plan, much like the US crackdown, will include huge fines of £5,000 for employers who use illegal immigrants while UK residents will be able to call in the Crimestoppers 800-number from January 1and report illegal workers and illegal immigrants. Extra detention space is also being looked at.
