Why aren’t illegal immigrants treated the same way as anyone else who breaks the law? – Royston Smith

Years ago, when I was a councillor in Southampton, someone asked me a simple but tough question: “Why aren’t illegal immigrants treated like anyone else who breaks the law?” I struggled to give a good answer, but the person kept repeating, “They are illegal, aren’t they?” They were right.

While stealing a loaf of bread or speeding can lead to penalties, entering the UK illegally often goes unpunished.

Fast forward 25 years, and the situation has worsened. People don’t need to look at immigration statistics to see the problem—they can see the changing demographics in their own neighborhoods.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) only tell part of the story, as they don’t include the hundreds of thousands—or possibly millions—of illegal immigrants in the country. No one really knows the true number.

How did we let this happen? The truth is, neither Westminster nor Whitehall cared enough to address it. Allowing low-skilled workers to come here and take low-skilled jobs was convenient. Now, we’ve replaced a Conservative government that was too lazy and divided to tackle illegal immigration with a Labour government that doesn’t seem interested in solving the problem either.

A recent report obtained by The Telegraph suggested that 585,000 people in London—one in 12—are illegal immigrants. This doesn’t include legal migrants or those here on study or work visas.

The ONS predicts the UK population will grow from 67.2 million in 2022 to 72.5 million by 2032, mostly due to immigration. This doesn’t account for illegal immigration, which could add millions more.

Even if the government has a plan for the expected population growth, how will they handle the additional strain from illegal immigrants? Schools, hospitals, and GP services are already struggling to meet demand.

If we can’t provide for those we know about, how will we cope with those we don’t? The answer is simple: we can’t. Those who pay for public services will continue to do so, but waiting times for education and healthcare will only get longer.

The government can’t keep ignoring this crisis or dismissing concerns about immigration as racism or xenophobia. The immigration genie is out of the bottle, and the establishment is ignoring it at its own peril. The British people are patient, but how much longer will they tolerate this?

Politicians claim to represent their constituents, but who are they really serving when they dismiss voters’ concerns? The gap between the public and the government has never been wider. To solve the mass migration problem, the establishment must first acknowledge it. Right now, there’s no sign of that happening.