On 24th of February, Rupert Reichold, elected conservative counsellor for Northamptonshire, represented the county in a discussion about the control of migration in Britain.

The conference, which was held in London and led by the Home Office Minister for Borders and Immigration, was entitled “Managing Migration in Britain’s Communities: Ensuring Fair and Effective Enforcement”. This meeting was intended to discuss how best to prevent illegal immigration to Britain without upsetting legal migrants and settled communities.

During the discussion, Mr Reichold put it to the Minister that there should be increased cooperation between Local Immigration Teams (LITs) and county councils. The issue of asylum seeking children was also discussed. There have been increased numbers of these children coming to Northamptonshire, and the Council is bound by law to look after them. As a result, Mr Reichold proposed that there should be increased funding for this cause.

Both The Minister and the Chief Constable admitted that more consideration should be paid to the sensitive issue of “people trafficking”, so that those who are rescued from prostitution should be given due care and protection. They also agreed that they should be careful when going about “raids”, which may be necessary in some cases in countering illegal immigration.

When asked, Mr Reichold felt that the conference went well, and that he achieved what he had hoped for; “The Minister’s assurances give me comfort”.

A study conducted by the London School of Economics has found a massive surge in the illegal population in Britain since 2001, with up to 947,000 immigrants now living in Britain. At current deportation rates, it would take 34 years to clear this backlog. Many have said the sharp rise is due to a major weakness with Britain’s border controls and that hi-tech lorry searches introduced at French ports seven years ago have not been effective.

Any illegal immigrant who makes it on to British soil can claim asylum, but those detected before they enter the country, for example, at the French ports, can be refused entry.
Illegal migration is undoubtedly a major national issue. However, there must be consideration on a more local level as to how communities should deal with migrants.