The government’s illegal immigration van scheme is not aimed at illegal immigrants

I wonder how many illegal immigrants who’ve seen the government’s imprecations for them to leave the country have done exactly that? Seen the van driving around with its placard and thought: ‘That’s really tugged at my conscience, that has. I shall take myself, and family, to Gatwick Airport immediately. I am sorry to have been such a burden.’ More to the point, I wonder how many are able to understand a single word of it? I suppose a pictogram of a Romanian with an accordion being roughed up by the old bill, followed by a picture of an aeroplane heading for Bucharest, would have offended the sensibilities of the Conservatives’ coalition partners even more. If it does work, however, I suppose we could use it to prevent other offences taking place: ‘Don’t burgle that house – get a job and let Jesus Christ into your life’, that sort of thing.

Truth is, much as Nigel Farage has said, it’s not aimed at the illegal immigrants, but at the angry indigenous folk who fear, rightly, that the government is losing the war against immigration.