UK politicians draw battle lines over immigration

The British government's latest attempt to crack down on immigration has been denounced as "stupid and offensive" by one of its own ministers, as the issue again rises to the top of the political agenda.

Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat business secretary, fears that the coalition government's attempt to reassure public opinion on immigration is damaging community relations as well as the country's economy and universities.

Mr Cable's frustration boiled over after the launch of a mobile poster campaign across six London boroughs telling illegal immigrants to "go home or face arrest" .

"It is designed, apparently, to create a sense of fear in the British population that we have a vast problem of illegal immigration," he told the BBC. "We have a problem - but not a vast one - and it's got to be dealt with in a measured way."

The UK has a longstanding tradition of tolerance towards immigrants and its economy has benefited from a vibrant and open labour market: the last UK census found that just 45 per cent of Londoners class themselves as "white British".

But immigration is regularly listed as among the most important issues by voters: in May that concern rose to a three-year high with 57 per cent of respondents ranking it in their top three main worries.

The influx of hundreds of thousands of Polish and Lithuanian workers to Britain after their countries joined the EU in 2004 - far in excess of the numbers expected - has created a sense that the UK is no longer in control of its borders.

Public anxiety over immigration was stoked this week when MPs on the Commons public administration committee said the official migration figures were "little better than a best guess" based on random interviews with travellers. Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, said on Tuesday that formal exit checks should be introduced at ports and airports.

That sense has been exploited by the UK Independence party, a rightwing group which has combined an anti-European stance with warnings of a fresh surge of migrants from Bulgaria and Romania when work restrictions on those countries are lifted next year.

For years, mainstream politicians have shied away from confronting the issue of immigration but today there is an acceptance that the rise of Ukip is a manifestation of a failure to address something of genuine concern to ordinary voters.

David Cameron's Conservative party - which shares power with the minority Lib Dems - has responded by vowing to cut net migration to "tens of thousands" by the 2015 election.

That objective was seen by some as hopelessly optimistic, but figures released in May showed net migration was down by 80,000 - a fall of a third - to 153,000.

Mark Harper, immigration minister, claims this drop is down to the government "cutting out abuse" of the system, for instance by closing down "bogus colleges" - and therefore spurious student visas - or reforming the rules on work visas.

The Labour opposition argues that the main reason for the fall is the fact that more people are leaving the UK than before the last election, and fewer British people are returning home - a function of the "flatlining economy".

While both claims have some truth to them, the immigration debate is not just about numbers: it also concerns whether a country with a previously liberal approach to the issue is turning its back on the world.

Mr Cable, whose first wife was Indian, fears the tone of the British debate is deterring business people from applying for visas in the UK, even if the government insists its quotas for skilled workers are not being filled.

UK universities have suffered significant declines in the numbers of students from countries such as India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; a study found a 32 per cent drop in first-year students from India.

For Mr Cameron, who constantly proclaims Britain is engaged in a "global race" with other countries, this is somewhat embarrassing and a source of tension with trading partners.

He insisted on a visit to India this year that there was "no limit" on the number of Indian students who could come to Britain, provided they spoke English and had the offer of a place. Downing Street is also worried that visa red tape is deterring Chinese business leaders and tourists from coming to the UK.

Now Mr Cable has urged the government to scrap its £3,000 bond pilot for visitors from six countries - including India and Nigeria - because it sends out the "wrong message" about Britain.

Asking visitors for a deposit before they enter the UK - to ensure they leave again - does not exactly sound welcoming.

But for Mr Cameron's government, like many other western administrations, striking a balancing act between openness, global economic success and the concerns of austerity-weary domestic voters is proving a difficult one.

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