• The proposal is one of several in the long-awaited Immigration Bill
  • Driving licence applicants would have to prove they were in Britain legally
  • Ministers say the law would stop illegal immigrants using public services
  • It may also discourage them from coming to Britain in the first place

By Jack Doyle

PUBLISHED: 18:31 EST, 9 October 2013 | UPDATED: 18:43 EST, 9 October 2013

Banks could be forced to carry out background checks to stop illegal immigrants opening accounts.

The proposal – one of several in the long-awaited Immigration Bill – would force managers to check potential customers against a database of foreigners known to be in the country illegally.

Applicants for a driving licence would also have to prove they were in Britain legally. Those who are unable to do so would be turned down.

The proposal would force bank managers to check potential customers against a database of foreigners known to be in the country illegally

The proposal would force bank managers to check potential customers against a database of foreigners known to be in the country illegally

Ministers said the law would stop illegal immigrants using public services and discourage them from coming to Britain in the first place.

The stricter rules follow elements of the Bill already announced, such as requiring private landlords to check the immigration status of tenants.

Home Secretary Theresa May will push ahead with plans to 'deport first and hear an appeal later'

Tough: Home Secretary Theresa May will push ahead with plans to 'deport first and hear an appeal later'

Temporary migrants, such as foreign students, would also have to make a contribution to the NHS before they could use GP and hospital services, following concerns about the cost of  health tourism to the taxpayer.

However, ministers are thought to have dropped a proposal to make GPs check the immigration status of new patients.

Home Secretary Theresa May will push ahead with plans to 'deport first and hear an appeal later' in cases involving foreign criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants.

The shake-up of immigration law will let the Government remove dangerous migrants from the country while their cases proceed instead of having to let them remain in Britain for years during their appeal.

In addition, the list of grounds for appeal will be slashed from 17 to just four.

This is a response to the debacle of the deportation of Abu Qatada, who was flown home to Jordan in July after a 12-year legal battle.

It is expected to cut the 68,000 cases lodged against the Government every year by more than half.

The Bill will also:

  • Limit the use of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to a private and family life – by illegal immigrants and criminals trying to stay in the UK,
  • Restrict the right of immigration detainees behind bars to apply repeatedly for bail,
  • Extend the notification period for a wedding to 28 days from 15 to crack down on sham marriages.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: 'The Bill will stop migrants using public services to which they are not entitled, reduce the factors which encourage people to come to the UK and make it easier to remove people who should not be here.

'We welcome the brightest and best migrants who want to contribute to our economy and society.

'Hard-working people deserve an immigration system that is fair to British citizens and legitimate migrants and tough on those who abuse the system and flout the law.'

Net migration has been cut by a third since 2010 but ministers fear a voter backlash if thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians come to Britain when border controls end in 2014.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

And rightly so. If you want to open a bank account here in Botswana you need to show your ID (Omang local ID) if you are a citizen, residence and work permit and contract of employment if you are an expat. I think the same rules apply in lots of countries so why not the UK?

Why hasn't this already been happening. If I apply for anything in this country especially a bank account or credit card there is a check on me. I thought the DSS could check people's bank accounts to make sure they don't have huge savings when claiming benefits. If foreigners want benefits here surely they would have to ha a uk bank account or do the DSS pay benefits in any currency these days.

stop promising, do it !!!!

$200 is not enough to use the NHS. Private travel insurance MUST be made mandatory. Banks should be checking passports as a matter of routine. It is not the banks job to regulate customers. That is the GOVERNMENTS JOB TO STOP ILLEGALS ENTERING AND ABUSING THE SYSTEM.

You can't open a bank account here in Australia without scoring 100 identification points. You can't get a job without a Tax file number. None of it is rocket science, it's just common sense. Seems to be lacking with anything to do with your government protecting YOUR tax money.

If theresa may thinks the banks are going to do this for free she must be off her rocker and think we are nuts. As for only being able to get a driving license if you are here legally, is she that out of touch with the police that she doesnt know the extent of the numbers of people driving without insurance or a license, without even having taken a test sometimes. I saw some police program on TV and one of the policemen in Birmingham said "in this particular district of Birmingham around 50% of drivers have no insurance or a license" so what will change ? As for the line "to remove dangerous migrants from the country while their cases proceed instead of having to let them remain in Britain for years during their appeal" Never that will never happen while we are a member of the EU because while we are in the EU we must, under EU law be subject to the European appeals courts and ECHR. --- If you hear the sound of laughter all over Britain that's me taking off in my ROFL COPTER

Enter your comment It's really very simple. I live in Colombia and could not open a bank account until I had a visa allowing me to live here for two years and an identity card. Without either of these you cannot get any documents, such as a driving license, medical insurance etc.

I've been expat in more than one country and each time I have to go through a stringent process to get residence - and without that I can get very little other free services. The UK should do the same. If you applied for a driving licence they take your own countries licence away and have it cancelled so you only ever have one driving record. Every country I go to stops me at the border and at least performs basic checks - I come to Heathrow and often there is nobody manning the border, you can get mobile without it being registered to an individual and then the UK is your target/oyster etc. It is easy to come in and establish yourself get an apartment without checks, cash-in-hand work, free NHS etc etc. Once established you guessed it Human Rights Act makes it impossible to get them out.

Seems that everybody except May has to be responsible, How long did it take to get rid of abu khada ? you are useless waste of space May, resign tonight.

And illegals they probably work cash in hand this will have no effect whatsoever as far as I can see......they know the illegals are in places that have sheds with beds ......kick some doors in and get results and arrest landlords.

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