My two pence worth if I may! In Britain too, the debate over illegal immigration - a thorny issue as it is - keep surfacing now and then and sadly the ill-informed xenophobic lot always leave no stones unturned in demonising the illegal immigrants whenever there is an opportunity. The media does also have a complicit part to play in all this, which is sad given the country's liberal image in accepting a fair number of asylum seekers that make it from across the Channel. The UK appears to be their best destination in Europe and this may well be because of the relatively lenient immigration policies the govt has put in place. Surely there ought to be other dynamics involved in the surge of IIs pouring into the country - better wages for instance. However, forced deportations do take place and it is a costly business considering the phenomenally hefty amount of money that the govt requires in order to enforce its policies. More strain on the taxpayer's pocket there obviously. Recent Home Office estimates suggest the number of IIs in Britain to be in the region of over 400,000. And most work in low paying sectors such as cleaning, food production, care work etc - the low-paid jobs that the native-born people shun. And most of them are able bodies individuals, capable of finding shelters and food for themselves. And also they don't claim state benefits contrary to what the xenophobes purport when venting their spleen, because attempting to do so will reveal their whereabouts, hence a better chance of them being deported. It was interesting to read figures published recently by a left-leaning think tank research group in the media. Migrants apparently fill a whopping 90% of jobs in London and account for 29% of the capital's workforce. Interesting point in their study was that they reckon, an estimated £1bn will be raised as govt revenues if the status of these so-called 'illegals' were to be legalised. This will surely alleviate the ballooning budget deficit currently being experienced by the govt departments. Resorting to deporting them in toto, an enterprise unlikely for the govt to take up in any case, would cost thrice as much. The US has a history of granting amnesty to IIs and I am hoping tha this leniency does yet prevail, despite the efforts of the right wing hardliners. The Spanish did follow suit by legalising their IIs' status last year, and tellingly, this has boosted their govt's tax take quite markedly. There is surely a moral - as well as economic - imperative attached to this whole affair. The West talks about the highfalutin economic programmes to eradicate poverty rampant in the third word and yet forgets all too easily about the well-being of a relatively small number of enterprising individual that arrive there in search of a better life for themselves and for their families. So much so that it allows itself to pander to the whims of the right wing hardliners without having delved deeper into finding meaningful alternatives in the first instance. Yes, its aid to the poor countries is vital but the remittances the people from these countries send home count much more. Life is hard enough already for 'illegals' what with having to work day in, day out, in most cases, for a pittance, and a wholesale crackdown on them is the last thing we want to see happening to them and one the West must avoid at all cost. Okay enough for one post already before I go on to say more rubbish. ************* Nepaali, Your analysis is most incisive and to the point, I must admit though that a lot of it went way over my head! Phew. In awe of your formidable wit, as always. Carpe diem.