No National Rollout Of 'Go Home' Migrant Vans

The Government has dropped its controversial 'go home' van campaign aimed at tackling illegal immigration.

The policy will not be rolled out nationwide, following a storm of criticism after it was piloted in six London boroughs this summer.

Posters on the side of vans asked: "In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest" and showed a pair of handcuffs and an official with a Home Office badge.

The advertising watchdog recently ruled that the arrest statistics cited were misleading, but rejected complaints that the posters were offensive or racist.

The pilot cost £10,000 and its critics included the coalition's own Business Secretary Vince Cable, who called it "stupid and offensive".

However, Tory Immigration Minister Mark Harper said only last week that the approach could be adopted nationwide if it was effective.

Home Secretary Theresa May has now decided it will definitely not be extended, amid suggestions it only prompted one person to leave the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary has seen an interim evaluation and has not been convinced by the results. As such, there will be no further roll-out."

Government 'gimmicks': Yvette Cooper

The decision emerged shortly before the start of a Commons debate on the coalition's flagship plans to tighten the immigration system.

The Immigration Bill will see illegal immigrants blocked from opening UK bank accounts and mean banks, employers and landlords have to check people's status.

Illegal immigrants and foreign prisoners will also have their rights of appeal slashed to make their deportation easier.

And temporary residents will have to pay an annual levy to fund NHS treatment in an attempt to tackle the costs of so-called "health tourism".

Labour claims the changes, which are the centrepiece of the coalition's legislative programme this year, do nothing to tackle border control and exploitation of foreign workers.

The Opposition will attempt to regain the initiative by tabling a package of measures designed to limit immigration from within the EU.

Freedom of movement rules in Europe mean it is impossible to stop migrants coming to the UK to work but Labour wants to tighten the rules to stop Britons being penalised.

It claims its proposals are the "first serious attempt by any party" to deal with the problems caused by EU migration, which are among voters' top concerns.

Labour's plans include:

:: Making it illegal for employers to deliberately run shifts for foreign workers only;

:: Forcing large firms hiring a worker from outside the EU to offer an apprenticeship in return;

:: Banning unsuitable housing being used as tied accommodation to offset the minimum wage;

:: Increasing the fine to £50,000 for not paying the minimum wage;

:: Trebling the fine to £30,000 for employing illegal immigrants.

Mr Miliband's proposal for firms who bring in foreign workers to be forced to create apprenticeships has already been condemned by business leaders.

The British Chambers of Commerce denounced it as an "apprentice tax" while the Institute of Directors said it was "completely removed from reality".

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper claimed Labour's plans were in contrast to Government "gimmicks" like the "offensive" ad vans or texting immigrants.

The Government argues its measures will help reduce net migration from outside the EU to less than 100,000 a year.

Campaigners from the Unite union, who claim the laws represent a backwards, step will protest outside the Commons ahead of the debate.

It highlighted plans to tackle health tourism, branding them "dog whistle" tactics and arguing migrants do not come to Britain to use the NHS but to work in it.

Assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: "The Bill is a further erosion of people's rights as it proposes a complete shrinking of appeal rights and an increase in appeals that can only be made from abroad.

"As it is, Home Office decision making is poor and around 40% of appeals succeed. This Bill, brought in for cynical political gain, must be defeated."

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