Britain: A Snooper's charter on Immigration

Head teachers, hospital administrators and staff in benefits and employment agencies are now expected to inform on suspected illegal immigrants under new govt proposals announced by Home Secretary Michael Howard.

The Guidelines are aimed at illegal immigrants or visitors receiving social security, housing benefits, free National Health Service treatment and educational awards to study at colleges and Universities.

The proposals, announced by the Home Secretary were condemned by immigrant welfare groups as a "snooper's charter" while the public service trade union, Unison, said the move would result in checks on people from ethnic minorities or people with "foreign" names.

In a related case the Labour controlled Hackney Council in London has accused the Home Office of conducting a witch- hunt against its employees with African names. It has alleged that information stolen from its payroll is being used by the Immigration and Nationality Department to investigate 600 workers who have African surnames. And GR can reveal that most of them indeed have Ghanaian names.