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Illegalimmigration drive

01 September 1993

On 13 October the Home Secretary Michael Howard announced that the government is setting up a study to track down illegal immigrants in the UK. The study will be carried out by three officials from the Home Office, the Department of Social Security and the Immigration and Nationality Department. They will be looking at the present arrangements for coordinated action and the "exchange of information" between the Immigration Department and "the police, the Department of Social Security, the Employment Service, the Health Service and housing authorities".

In a statement Mr Howard said that the Immigration Service is "detecting and removing more such people [illegal immigrants] than ever before" but that national and local government bodies should make the "most efficient use of the information available to us". He says that is necessary to prevent "the drain on public funds" by illegal immigrants.

This move follows the decision of the EC Trevi Ministers in Copenhagen in June to initiate national measures for the expulsion of illegal immigrants from the EC.

The Campaign Against Racism and Fascism said:

"This will lead to a witch-hunt in the community with the harassment of black people who will have to prove to all kinds of agencies their right to be here. There will also be more deportation raids by police and immigration officials like the one in which Joy Gardner was killed."

Home Office press release 13.10.93.