Government action is acting to address illegal immigration:
• In 2010 more than 39,000 people who had no right to remain in the United Kingdom were removed from the UK.
• And last year, our officers aboard stopped more than 60,000 people from even boarding a plane to the United Kingdom.
• Abroad the message that Britain is not a 'soft touch' is getting through
Meanwhile this government is controlling lawful immigration by addressing all visa routes:
• We have capped economic migration from outside of the EU,
• We have reformed the largest route, the student visa system, and clamped down on widespread abuses,
• We are addressing the link between temporary routes and permanent settlement,
• We will soon tackle the family visa route.
Graham said: 'This Government is getting to grips with the immigration system. We are reducing and controlling immigration across all the legal routes to Britain – economic migration, student visas, family visas and the right to settle here. But just as important as those policy changes is tough enforcement of the rules. These figures show that the message is getting through: if you're not legal, you're not welcome.'