"An enormous army of illegal immigrants works across the country. Thanks to these people, thousands of offices and homes are cleaned, streets are swept, and drinks are served in pubs and clubs," the publication writes. As The Independent notes, "immigrants do work that native Britons consider unworthy, dirty, or simply dangerous."
According to the Home Office, there are between 310,000 and 570,000 immigrants in Britain, and the government admits it cannot give a more accurate estimate.
Interestingly, as The Independent notes, deporting all illegal immigrants would cost the treasury almost 5 billion pounds. The newspaper cites a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research, which says that tougher overall migration policy could drive illegal immigrants even further underground. As its authors note, illegal migrants "need to be given a chance to play by the rules." This applies especially to London, whose economy is largely dependent on immigrant labor.
The Independent also cites testimony from the illegal immigrants themselves. "We were betrayed, deceived, and robbed," it quotes an immigrant from Brazil, now already deported to his homeland. A man who identified himself as Charles tells how he bought fake Portuguese documents for 500 pounds, and then a national insurance number for another 100 pounds. "Such documents are made in London in a few hours!" he says. Then Charles went to a recruitment agency, where they turned a blind eye to these fakes. Every day he got up at half past three and went to prepare salads and pies for grocery stores for minimum wage... until he was detained during a police raid.
In its editorial, The Independent writes that, contrary to public perceptions, illegal immigrants do not receive state benefits: by applying for them, they would expose themselves. Almost all of them work in Britain's shadow economy and contribute to the growth of the country's prosperity.
Following up on its reflections on illegal immigrants in Britain, The Independent includes an article about the situation in the United States, which needs cheap labor but fears "newcomers." But again, economic data here shows that immigrants – both legal and illegal – make a significant contribution to the country's economy.
Based on materials from BBC