The U.K plans to jail people working illegally in England and Wales for up to six months in a bid to deter undocumented migrants, particularly the current influx of asylum-seekers from Calais. And takeaway restaurants and liquor stores, long the domain of the under-the-table economy, could lose their licenses if they’re busted going off-book. This is on top of announcements earlier this month that English landlords will have to evict tenants if their asylum applications fail. It’s all part of a plan to banish the idea that the U.K. is a “soft touch” when it comes to immigration.
Another tactic to deal with the flow of asylum-seekers: invalidate their claims before they arrive. The European Commission is working on a list of “safe countries” whose citizens will be ineligible for asylum, which will include some Balkan and African states, according to Frans Timmermans, Commission first vice-president.