This I support

I don't always agree with this writer, but she's right about this I think and so this is worth flagging up.

On Monday the Citizens' Organising Foundation's campaign, Strangers into Citizens, is holding a mass rally in Trafalgar Square, with bishops, imams and trade unions calling for an "earned amnesty". They call for all who have been living here for at least four years to be given work permits. After two years, if they have a job, no criminal record and learn English, they would earn citizenship. This process could begin when the new ID card starts next year.
It would rescue lost souls from the shadow world of fear, abuse and exploitation. Combined with a tough new work inspectorate, it would stop sweatshop labour. Those who fear an upsurge of new illegals hoping for a future amnesty should remember that the real draw to Britain is not a citizenship promise but the ease of finding illegal work. The only way to shut down the black economy is to regularise the workforce and heavily penalise illegal employers. If work is hard to get, fewer people will come.

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | Phoney policies only backfire. We need an amnesty for illegal migrants

Technorati Tags: politics, immigration, UK