Illegal migrant workers to get amnesty in May

Tens of thousands of eastern Europeans working illegally in Britain will be given an "amnesty" from 1 May.

Poles, Czechs and others who have become a mainstay of London's decorating and building industry within the black economy will be allowed to register and work legally.

The move to encourage them to join the legal economy and become taxpayers was confirmed by Home Office minister Beverley Hughes, who said they would not be punished for having worked illegally in the past.

"They have a right to be here and there is no need for them to carry on working illegally," she said. Eastern Europeans, some of them highly qualified with university degrees, have flocked to London to cash in on the demand for skilled decorators, plasterers and joiners.

But the Government is coming under intense fire from critics who said it was failing to deter an expected flood of new migrants when 10 new countries join the EU in May.

David Blunkett's plan to allow migrant workers from the new EU members to register while banning them from claiming welfare benefits for two years was attacked by Tories and legal experts as unworkable.

EU Commission president Romano Prodi claimed the strategy may be illegal under EU laws because it gave rights to some European citizens and not others.

Business leaders protested that firms would face costly red tape to ensure workers were properly registered and claimed it would deter them from taking on casual employees.

The British Chamber of Commerce said: "It will cause serious worries particularly to builders and manufacturers who use casual staff. If a worker has a foreign accent it could get the firm into trouble."

Doctors also warned that some migrants would be attracted to the UK by the prospect of free treatment on the NHS for themselves and their families.

The Government said emergency treatment would be given to anyone needing it but they would not be entitled to free treatment for longstanding conditions.

Mr Blunkett fought against calls for a blanket temporary ban on migrant workers from the new EU member states, arguing that the economy was too dependent on skilled labour from abroad.

He believes the public will embrace legal migrants providing the Government takes a tough line against illegal entrants and bogus asylum seekers.

Ministers were heartened by figures yesterday showing a sharp drop in asylum claims from 103,080 in 2003 to 61,050 last year.