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ILLEGAL immigrants should be given "selective amnesty" to allow them to earn the right to British citizenship, the Liberal Democrats have said.
Home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said those staying long-term should be able to apply for permanent residence. But they should be required to fulfil a series of conditions, such as the ability to speak English, he said.

The Home Office said it had no plans for an amnesty and was removing a failed asylum seeker every half hour.

It is not known how many illegal immigrants are in the UK, with estimates varying widely from 300,000 to 900,000.

Last month, the Institute of Public Policy Research said such an amnesty would bring in £1bn in extra taxes and save costs of £4.7bn needed to deport people.

It urged Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to adopt the move, saying a large scale deportation would never happen.

The Home Office has repeatedly rejected calls for an amnesty.

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