STRANGERS INTO CITIZENS CAMPAIGN

That this House recognises the Government's commitment to tighten UK borders and introduce new monitoring and assessment systems into the immigration process; notes the Home Office assessment that up to 500,000 irregular migrants currently live and work in the UK; further recognises that the overwhelming majority of such migrants make a valuable economic contribution despite living under the shadow of illegality; acknowledges the Institute for Public Policy Research estimation that regularisation of certain groups of migrant workers could raise £1 billion in taxes; congratulates the Strangers into Citizens campaign for the one-off regularisation of long-term irregular migrants through a pathway to citizenship; and calls for a full cross-party debate to consider granting a two year work permit to migrants who have lived in the UK for more than four years, following which they would be granted indefinite leave to remain, subject to an English test and positive references from an employer or person of standing in the community.