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BBC stings, busts UK immigration
racket
WSN Bureau
London: In an
undercover investigation, the BBC has exposed a London-based
criminal network that used fake passports, identity documents and
human carriers to bring in illegal migrants, mostly from Punjab,
into Britain.
These immigrants
were settled in around 40 safe houses in Southall, home to a large
concentration of immigrants from
India. Nearly
all the illegal migrants - called "faujis" in criminal parlance are
said to be from Punjab.
During the
investigation, the BBC team met one of the agents, named Vicki, who
was open about the fake documents he could obtain. Vicki said he
could get people into the country on lorries, known as donkeys,
organised by what he called his "man in
Paris", and told
how he could provide a fake "original" passport that had been
"checked" to beat security at a UK airport.
When Vicki was
later confronted with the details of what had been filmed, he denied
doing anything wrong and said it was a case of mistaken identity.
The BBC team met
Indian employers who said they had no problem obtaining papers for
illegal workers, some of whom were willing to shell out huge sums
for fake passports. There were Indian landlords renting out space to
the "faujis". And, there was no shortage of work, though the workers
are grossly underpaid.
This is the
second major expose of the illegal Indian immigrant network in
Britain.
Last year, an independent Indian filmmaker, Savyasaachi Jain,
released a documentary in India and Britain, titled "Shores Far
Away", on the subject. Jain filmed extensively in Britain and parts
of eastern Europe to document the illegal migration route from
India.
Leicester East
MP Keith Vaz had admitted: "Illegal immigrants are trafficked by
these smugglers from
India via
Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey and then on to Calais (France) from
where they reach the United Kingdom and cities like London and
Leicester. Another route is through Russia, the Ukraine, Slovakia
and then into Austria, the gateway to western Europe."
The BBC expose
comes at a time when the British government is strictly enforcing
laws against illegal migration. In February, Home Secretary Jacqui
Smith announced the introduction of local immigration teams across
the UK
by 2012 to prevent businesses employing illegal workers.
Those that
continue to break the rules will face huge fines, up to £10,000.
Since then, enforcement officers have raided hundreds of Asian
restaurants, detecting hundreds of illegal workers.
23
July, 2008
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