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Camp migrants returning home
A migrant camp in Thorpe Meadows. Picture: Rowland Hobson
HOMELESS migrants in Peterborough are abandoning their squalid makeshift camps in significant numbers to return home.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has revealed that since launching its tough pilot scheme in April telling foreign EU people sleeping rough to get a job or leave the country, they have found 77 people and the majority have decided to leave.
These figures follow a snap homeless count by Peterborough City Council, police and St Theresa’s charity last week which shows homelessness among migrants is still an issue.
Of the 26 people found sleeping on the streets of Peterborough, 22 were foreign nationals and believed to be different to the 77 identified by the UKBA.
Another makeshift, migrant camp has also been discovered by the ET yesterday in Thorpe Meadows.
City MP Stewart Jackson said he would be meeting immigration minister Damian Green to discuss the city’s situation: “People are rightly upset that the image of Peterborough has been damaged because of the EU migration policy and I will be meeting with Mr Green in the next few weeks to talk about the action taken by the UKBA.”
He said that immigration has been the number one issue for Peterborough for the last five years.
He added: “I will also be writing to all the ambassadors of every EU country asking them to do more to ensure that people do not come to the UK to not work and claim benefits. They cannot be a burden on city taxpayers.”
The scale of the issue has been highlighted by the ET over the last few months. The city was chosen by the UKBA to pilot the scheme aimed at making homeless EU migrants find work or leave the UK.
In just two months, 77 migrants have been found by the UKBA with 28 agreeing to go home voluntarily and one being forcibly deported.
The remaining 49 have been served with “minded to remove” letters by the UKBA asking them to attend an interview.
After this, 12 are now waiting to leave, 15 are working with their embassies to leave, 16 people are being helped get their ID documentation back so they can leave and three have managed to find work. Three cases are currently outstanding.
Despite the rise in homelessness recorded in Peterborough, chairman of St Theresa’s Sue Watters said the figures were a “true reflection” of the problem.
She said: “In terms of population our problem is not that dissimilar to London and these numbers reflect the numbers we see coming through our doors.
“The fact that we are finding more people is a positive thing and the council has put a lot more resource into the problem but this number is still the tip of the iceberg.
“The fact the problem is big and we have had our funding stopped it is a massive issue for us but the public have never been so generous with donating to help us.”
A council spokeswoman confirmed all of those found sleeping rough were offered drug, alcohol or lifestyle support from St Theresa’s.
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Comments
There are 17 comments to this article
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A local chap
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 04:18 PMEggcraft - 77 found, 7 left. Read and listen carefully! PCC working with UKBA have done a good job on this. PCC could not act alone (Legal powers are with UKBA) and UKBA took a while to get engaged but results coming.
eggcraft
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 09:17 PMFagan I agree with you. But I would go one further Child benefit for 2 children only and also any other benefits. It is your choice to have children. You should support them -- not us
Bamboozler
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 02:16 PMThe rule on EU immigrants, is that with exception to those classed as Students or those who have proof of being supported, then if they do not have a job within 90 days of arriving, then the country from whence they came should take them back. This has always been the case, we just haven't exercised that rule. Now that we have a new Immigration Minister in a new government, the department has sort to rectify the situation, before the subject gets brought up by the new minister. The departments in charge of benefits departments now need to strictly apply the same rule and automatically stop payments after 90 days.
Fagan
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 12:19 PMif the UK wasn't so quick to dish out benefits to any sod that arrives with cap in hand & a tale of woe we wouldn't be in this mess. add to this it's become profitable to breed like rabbits & be rewarded with a myriad of cash in various guises thanks to the previous government...kids should be born out of love not because its means an extra ££££££ per week. was told the Czech government only pay child benefit for the first 4 children, a shame we don't do something similar but with a 5075% reduction.
Fidget
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 11:49 AMMystery surrounds the disappearance of several tens of migrants from the council sponsored "migrant camps". One camp resident, Myturn Tobuggerov, said "It was like, you know, Mary Poppins, with the child catcher? Ach, he had a large wagon, waving bits of paper with some words I didn't recognise, looked like 'residential' something or other, when the wagon was full, off it went into the night. I was scared, I can tell you, and I have spent the night with old mother Vanya, so I don't scare easily". In an apparently unrelated incident the lights in the city centre fountains were turned on. A spokesman for the council said "We are very proud to reach the next stage in the rejuvenation of the city centre. I can confirm that the power for the lights is, um, self sustaining" though the spokesman would not be drawn on whether this involved a large number of bicycles and manpower, a long bit of electric cable and some strategically placed rubber tubing. He continued "The next stage involves something to do with cubicles and towels. No, hang on, I didn't mean to say that. Look, I have a family, please don't write that down....". The spokesman was later "unavailable for comment".
eggcraft
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 09:10 AMThe ET is saying 77 have left and the TV news are saying 7. Someone has got it wrong. Are you sure the reporters finger didn't get stuck on the number 7 when typing this report!!!!!
nice and normal
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 08:20 AMOooo, arent these nasty foreigners just awful? I blame them for everything. I bet I wouldnt have to pay tax AT ALL if they werent here. Must dash, im busy reading about that loveable Nobby the Tramp and watching Auf Wiedersehn Pet.
hammo60
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 11:40 PMare these the people who are plundering our river fish stocks and killing our swans they should be rounded up and taken to the nearest port or airport and sent to their country of orgin
Genghis Khant
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 07:50 PMmigrants work do they so tell me the ones that brag to me about the benefits they get and cant believe what a soft touch this country is is just tip of the iceberg . even if all the brits did the jobs the we so called wouldnt do migrants would still flock here
Trigger
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 07:44 PM@ hissing cyd the problem is not St Theresa's it is the companies and agencies that actively recruit overseas during the boom times then just dump the people when there is a downturn. New Labour are to blame as well they welcomed everybody by not restricting migration from other EU countries.
Chiefy
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 06:52 PMWhilst shifting these homeles mIgrants, I suggest thaht the hoard of gypsy travellers camped by the Hungry Horse at Westwood be sent packing without delay.They will no doubt leave a mountain of crap when the do leave. Some years ago, an enterprising Peterborough man,set up a cafe van at the same spot. He was promptly moved on. If Stewart Jackson MP wants to really make a name for himself,he should forcibly persue legislagtion to permanently preveny migrants and gypsy travellers from setting up camps.
Mark Zuckerberg
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 05:50 PMCamp Migrants? How do you know they are gay?
Kindatrue
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 04:47 PMFantastic keep it up. City starting to look like the 2rd world in some places. This can only help matters
Dalek Sec
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 04:31 PMSt Theresa's was there long before the migrants - they just offer help for people of all nationalities. Throwing blame at them is a bit misguided.
hissing cyd
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 03:42 PMSt Theresa’s Is one hundred percent immigration into Peterborough and not out of it. I suppose being Roman Catholic they have a ready made congregation here so encourage them to stay as they can get money from us to support them.
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