Last Monday I took a look at a story about how the Brits were dealing with their own illegal immigration problems and the fact that they seem to be able to take a much more strident stand against violators without facing the same withering criticism which liberals shower on conservative politicians in the United States. In that case, the government was investigating landlords who provided housing to illegals, but they had more plans in the offing. That trend seems to be continuing and our neighbors across the pond may be onto something which American politicians could take a look at. Rather than worrying about how to deport a million people overnight, their immigration office is going after the employers who provide them with jobs. (BBC)

Businesses that employ illegal workers will be hit with “the full force of government machinery”, immigration minister James Brokenshire has warned.

He said “rogue employers” who give work to illegal migrants were denying UK citizens jobs, driving down wages and gaining an “unfair advantage”.

The Times says immigration officers are to carry out raids on cleaning firms, building sites and care homes.

But Labour’s Yvette Cooper said the Home Office should “still do more”.

BBC political correspondent Robin Brant said ministers were trying to “enhance” practical measures to combat illegal workers, rather than bring in new measures.

If you drain the toxic American politics out of the question, that’s a remarkably simple approach, isn’t it? They’re not dreaming up entire new programs or fantasizing about SKYNET flying robots to solve their problem. They’re simply making the UK a less attractive place for illegals to flock to. If they leave in place a situation where those who are denied asylum can simply live in government funded housing, pick up a check every week and even go apply for a job, why would they ever leave? (The short answer is… they wouldn’t. Duh.) But if you make it nearly impossible for those without either citizenship or appropriate visitation permission to find a place to live and get work, the word will eventually get out.

This isn’t a good place to stay.

One hates to invoke the dreaded phrase, “self-deportation” here, but that’s what it boils down to. No matter how big of a wall you build, somebody will find a way to get over it. But why would you climb that wall if the grass on the other side is not only not greener, but pretty much dried up? That’s not to say you don’t still need a wall, by the way. Some significant percentage of border jumpers are coming for strictly criminal, gang related purposes. They won’t be put off by a lack of legitimate jobs or benefits and you need to stop them. But if you cut back significantly on the number of illegal migrants who are crossing your wall just to find work or get free government benefits, then the gang members coming across will increasingly stick out like a sore thumb. It’s an idea which works on both sides of the equation.

What American politicians need to realize is that Great Britain didn’t just invent teleportation or an anti-gravity machine here. There’s nothing revolutionary about these concepts. What ever happened to e-verify? It’s out there and ready to go, but it doesn’t solve the problem if employers aren’t willing to do their part, use it, be alert, and actually participate in cutting off the supply of jobs for illegal aliens. The British seem to have found a way to vault over that stumbling block. Don’t spend as much time chasing the individual Chunnel runners… shut down the people giving them jobs. And circling back to the previous idea, close down the rental properties of those providing apartments to all of those “Americans in Waiting.”

But no… we could never do that here. That’s just crazy talk.