UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Border Bill achieves second reading without a vote

Tuesday, 6 February 2007

New laws intended to tighten the Government's grip on immigration after a string of headline-grabbing fiascos have cleared their first Commons hurdle.

The Bill, which now goes to committee for detailed consideration, includes greater powers for immigration officers and automatic deportation of some foreign national prisoners at the end of their sentence.

It also introduces compulsory biometric ID cards for non-EU foreign nationals and tackles illegal working and fraud.

The moves are part of the reform of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) which from April will be renamed the Border and Immigration Agency.