NRI UK MPs, against forgery racket involved in abetting illegal immigration from Punjab
BBC documentary exposed a network -Punjabi gangs involved in abetting illegal immigration

Southall , UK, July 17, 2008
Sant Ahuja

After BBC documentary released, UK Border Agency with help of the police arrested 3 men after investigation into one of the UK's largest illegal immigrant communities.

The BBC news men spent months undercover and exposed more than 40 houses packed with illegal immigrants in one square mile of Southall. The forgery racket used fake passports, identity documents and human carriers to bring in illegal migrants, mostly from Punjab. In punjabi community, Illegal immigrants are known as "Faujis".

Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

• This is fresh evidence for why ID cards are needed so urgently.
• We now hit businesses hard if they employ illegal immigrants. In four months this year we've hit over 33 times the numbers of businesses prosecuted last year. But businesses need to know who is legitimately here and that is why cards are so important."

If government decide today to issue ID cards, it will take 5-7 years to solve this problem

NRI MP Virender Kumar Sharma said:

• He wanted stringent action against gangs involved in abetting illegal immigration from Punjab.
• The problem seems to be at both ends and the Indian and British Governments need to take coordinated action and touts indulging in these should be punished severely.
• He would take up the issue of illegal immigration both with the British Home Office Minister Liam Byrne and the Indian High Commissioner in UK
• There are two types illegal immigrants- one who come here on visitor visas and over stayed. Second who come through illegal routes.
  

Keith Vaz MP, the Home Affairs Select Committee Chairman, told media:

• The government is not doing enough to tackle the problem of illegal immigrants.
• What they ought to be doing is trying to find out who is responsible for these gangs, finding out who they are and then prosecuting them.

The business properties engaging illegal immigrants may be fined up to 10,000 pounds and even cancellation of licence under the new Law.