Tuesday 11 August 2015

Groundhog Day

We all woke up in the UK yesterday morning to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, among others, warning us about a ...
Government crackdown on firms employing illegal immigrants

Immigration minister James Brokenshire says the government [is] determined to act against businesses denying work to British nationals and driving down wages

Rogue employers who give jobs to illegal immigrants will be hit with the "full force" of the government machine ministers have warned.

Immigration minister James Brokenshire said the Government was determined to act against businesses which were denying work to British nationals and driving down wages ...
Yesterday was 10 August 2015.

But it might has well have been 28 December 2007, when we all woke up in the UK to the BBC, among others, telling us about a new advertising campaign:
Ads target illegal migrant hiring

A government campaign will warn bosses that they face large fines and prison sentences if they are caught employing illegal migrant workers.

The Home Office will run radio and print adverts ahead of a tightening of the law on illegal labour in February.

Employers could be fined up to £10,000 for every illegal worker they negligently hire, or could face up to two years in prison.

The immigration minister said firms would have no excuse to break the law.

Liam Byrne said: "Illegal working attracts illegal migrants and undercuts British wages. That's why we're determined to shut it down.

"The message is clear for employers - we will not tolerate illegal working."
We've moved on 7½ years and Liam Byrne has been replaced by James Brokenshire but otherwise nothing has changed. The Home Office continues to fulminate about hitting employers with the full force of the government machine which will not tolerate illegal working. That may give the impression of the Home Office taking action but of course that's just what they're not doing. As usual. Nothing changes.

In December 2006, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) published their Strategic Action Plan for the National Identity Scheme. IPS was part of the Home Office and they promised at Annex 1 (p.25) that an "enhanced employee checking service" would be "available for employers" by June 2007. It wasn't available in June 2007 and it still isn't. IPS has now become HMPO, Her Majesty's Passport Office. Otherwise, nothing has changed.

UK Border Force technology 2015
IPS promised that ID cards would solve the illegal immigration and illegal working problems. They would also stop sex offences, false asylum claims, terrorism, identity fraud and inefficient public services, all thanks to biometrics, according to their 13-page October 2006 cost report on ID cards in which they promoted biometrics as the magic solution no less than 41 times.

The biometrics didn't work, they still don't, neither does the Home Office and now it's up to the Government Digital Service (GDS), part of the Cabinet Office, to identify us all and, presumably, to provide the means for proving our right to work.

It's not ID cards this time. Now it's GOV.UK Verify. Same difference.

No comments:

Post a Comment