We musn't shy away from acknowledging that a lack of integration risks damaging social cohesion – and that immigrants must speak English
My father came to the UK to escape the Kenyan Asian crisis in 1968. His arrival here probably saved his life. My mother was recruited by the NHS in Mauritius as a girl of 18, and she has just passed her 45th year of service as a nurse.
More passionate patriots cannot be imagined, and I need no convincing that immigration has brought huge benefits to this country. We have a proud tradition of offering refuge, opportunity and a better life to those who take the risk of leaving their homeland.
The immigrant story is a Conservative story: My parents’ lives are testament to that. It is one of risk, starting from scratch, working hard and living frugally, all in the name of aspiration, endeavour and self-responsibility. Those are values we as a party and a country should celebrate as being in harmony with what we mean by "British values".
So we should always welcome migration to our shores, but for that welcome to be genuine it has to be based on a system that is fair and robust. Parliament debated the Immigration Bill this week and I was pleased to support its proposals which go to the heart of the existing problems: loopholes exploited by illegal immigrants, the need for greater enforcement and investigation powers, and streamlining the appeals system.
Again, my experience tells me these things are badly needed. Before I came into Parliament, I worked as a Treasury counsel, defending the Home Office in immigration cases. I saw how the system has vastly improved over the past five years, with action to tackle the "pull" factors that draw people here. Last year, new legislation made it easier to deport foreign criminals by enacting the principle of "deport first, appeal later" and ending the abuse of the Article 8 Right to Family Life.
Prior to that change, I saw how that right was stretched so far as to make it laughable and pitiful. I was involved in a case that involved the removal of a foreign criminal- a convicted drug smuggler – which should have been entirely straightforward. But because of the array of appeal rights, technical loopholes, and the backlog of cases in the courts system, it took nearly two years and thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money to finally persuade the Court of Appeal that the public interest in deportation outweighed the human right to a family life in Britain. Thankfully, the number of such cases is now diminishing.
I worked on many cases involving sham marriages, bogus colleges and people smuggling and saw the practical effect of the huge backlog of 800,000 asylum cases on the Home Office. I witnessed how immigration officers and border control police lacked the appropriate powers to gather enough evidence to justify a successful prosecution. Those abuses are now being tackled, the backlog is down to just over 20,000, and increased investigation and enforcement powers for immigration officers are in the current Bill. It is vital we take those measures, and be clear why they are needed.
Those of us who welcome the positive contribution made by immigrants must be robust in ensuring the system is fair, and seen to be fair. Failure to do so will only stoke resentment that will be exploited by extremists. Nor can we simply ignore the cultural impact of immigration, difficult and sensitive as that subject is.
As politicians, we must be more courageous when speaking out about matters of integration and the challenges we face. The pace of immigration, the damaging predominance of multiculturalism and the lack of integration in some parts of this country risk having a damaging effect on social cohesion. We must not be afraid to say, as the current Bill does, that a well-integrated immigrant should speak fluent English. Sharing a language is crucial for developing relationships and gaining employment, and connects us deeply with others.
Measures such as those we have been debating this week are the only way that we will command more confidence in the immigration system, and ensure its credibility. Our country is neither open nor closed, and striking the balance is hard. Our approach must always encapsulate both proportion and compassion, and not shy away from tackling sensitive issues. Only in that way can we ensure Britain continues to offer the sort of welcome and opportunity that my parents received, and from which I and the country have benefited.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11935242/Britons-sho…