Rt. Hon. Michael Mates
Contribution To “Off The Fence”
The long-running scandal of undesirable and illegal immigrants and asylum seekers has at last got the Government’s attention. The determination to remove these people from our country is, however belatedly, to be welcomed. We do not need them here fermenting moderate Muslims in our community and it is quite right to say they are a threat to our national security, even if it is only an indirect one and one for which hitherto they have not been able to be prosecuted.
We are becoming used to hearing about some of them having lived free here on taxpayers’ money for years – Omar Bakri Mohammed, the cleric, who has just “fled” to the Lebanon is a prime example. The Government must do whatever it takes to stop people like that from coming here and to keep a check on those who are here and are under suspicion.
This is one of the reasons I favour an identity card in principle – although not the way the Government is trying to bring it in. The foolproof card which identifies every citizen is indeed a bastion against not just terrorism but benefit fraud as well. I understand the libertarian argument that we should not go down this road: the fact is times have changed and we live in a much more dangerous world than we did even five years ago.
To add insult to injury, it is reported that this man is coming back to have a heart operation on the National Health Service. I am at the moment battling for a constituent to be seen to confirm whether or not she has a life-threatening illness and the local Trusts are refusing even to see her and assess her. They plead lack of staff and wring their hands saying they have not enough money.
If I were able to choose which of these two cases should have the greater priority, it would be an easy decision but as far as the NHS is concerned it is a mad world we live in.
