Amnesty on immigrants 'would bring a £3bn boost'

An amnesty for long-term illegal immigrants could be worth up to £3billion a year to the economy, according to a new report.

A London School of Economics study, commissioned by London Mayor Boris Johnson, estimated that there are 618,000 illegal immigrants in Britain. About 71 per cent - or 442,000 - of these live in the capital.

A five-year residency plan could mean 67 per cent of the total would be eligible to stay in the UK.

The report claims that an amnesty would not lead to an increase in migration because of the absence of land borders in the UK. Mr Johnson said: "This report has introduced long overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay.

"Far from a financial burden, as some suggest, this new research has found an amnesty could be worth up to £3billion a year to the country's economy.

"The study also demolishes the argument that an amnesty would inevitably lead to increased migration to the UK and identifies effective border controls as the vital factor in controlling and deterring illegal immigration."

An amnesty would, however, see an increase in spending on the welfare system and housing, the report adds.

The National Audit Office estimated that deporting all illegal immigrants from Britain would cost up to £4.7billion.

Only 111,265 illegal immigrants have been deported over 10 years since 1998, at a cost of £11,000 per person.