Boris Johnson Backs Amnesty for Undocumented Migrants

Boris Johnson

It appears British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a somewhat free-market leaning, libertarian-leaning, utilitarian perspective on undocumented migrants.


While responding to a question from the Labour MP Rupa Huq, who said that when Johnson was mayor of London he proposed an amnesty for illegal immigrants, Johnson responded:

It is absolutely true that I have raised it several times [when] I was in government. I must say, it did not receive an overwhelming endorsement from the previous prime minister when I raised it in cabinet.

But I have to say I do think our arrangements – theoretically being committed to the expulsion of perhaps half a million people who don’t have the correct papers and who may have been living and working here for many, many years without being involved in any criminal activity at all – I think that legal position is anomalous.

And we saw the difficulties that that kind of problem occasioned in the Windrush fiasco. We know the difficulties that can be caused.

And I do think – yes, I will answer [Huq] directly – I do think we need to look at our arrangements for people who have lived and worked here for a long time, unable to enter the economy, unable to participate properly or pay taxes without documents.

We should look at it. And the truth is the law already basically allows them an effective amnesty. That’s basically where things have settled down. But we should look at the the economic advantages and disadvantages of going ahead with the policy that [Huq] described and which I think she and I share.

Notice his focus on working immigrants.

That said, from a libertarian perspective, I could do without his comment on bringing them properly into the tax system.

 -RW