[JURIST] The UK will not implement an amnesty program for illegal immigrants, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne [official profile] said Wednesday, and will instead seek "fair but tough" enforcement of current rules. Byrne's comments came at the conclusion of an official review of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), the UK office charged with controlling the country's borders, which was ordered by UK Home Secretary John Reid after it came to light earlier this year that more than 1000 foreign criminal were released [BBC timeline] without being considered for deportation. The deportation debacle cost Reid's predecessor, Charles Clarke, his job [JURIST report] in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Byrne had previously raised the possibility of amnesty [BBC report] for illegal immigrants currently in the UK, a proposal opposed by most UK citizens [BBC report] according to a recent poll. BBC News has more.