Jon Bright (London, OK): You've probably seen Nick Clegg's recent announcement on a revised immigration policy for the Lib Dem party. Most eye-catching is their announcement of a policy of "earned legalisation" for the estimated 600,000 people living in the UK illegally.
Britain's illegal immigrants represent an issue reminiscent of drugs policy. Legalisation represents the most desirable solution and yet, like drugs, it would be politically untenable - seen to encourage more of the problem rather than solving it. Clegg is hoping that by proposing illegal immigrants "earn" the right to live in the UK, he can integrate the perception of fairness (so integral to the current discourse surrounding immigration) into a solution to this thorny issue.
The problem is that for an illegal immigrant to try and jump through the series of hoops Clegg is proposing they would first have to make themselves known to the authorities. One criterion he suggests is that they should have been living in the UK for many years - i.e. they have made some sort of sustainable life despite their lack of official status. Taking such a test would literally involve them gambling this life: if they failed, they would presumably be deported straight away, otherwise the system would be meaningless. How many of the 600,000 would be willing to take such a massive risk?
