1:37:34 > 1:37:41.
1:37:46 > 1:37:49This programme contains some strong language
1:37:49 > 1:37:50This is the story of immigrants.
1:37:51 > 1:37:53Legal...
1:37:53 > 1:37:55and illegal.
1:37:57 > 1:37:59SINGING
1:37:59 > 1:38:03They came to Britain because it offered hope of a better life.
1:38:04 > 1:38:08But for some, the reality proved very different.
1:38:08 > 1:38:09This is my home.
1:38:09 > 1:38:11SHE LAUGHS
1:38:11 > 1:38:14Oh, dear God. It's wretched.
1:38:14 > 1:38:18We meet people fighting to stay in the country.
1:38:18 > 1:38:22Thanks, God, I'm happy. I'm happy! I feel like jumping!
1:38:23 > 1:38:28And as the number of illegals exceeds 600,000...
1:38:28 > 1:38:32we meet a group of immigrants who shouldn't be here at all.
1:38:33 > 1:38:38A lot of people might say, "Who does this guy think he is?
1:38:38 > 1:38:40- "He comes to this country, he steals from us."- Yes.
1:38:42 > 1:38:47We discover critics of the illegals are not confined to white Britain.
1:38:47 > 1:38:49I'm not saying that they are bad people.
1:38:49 > 1:38:52They have a lot of contribution to make to their own countries,
1:38:52 > 1:38:54and they ought to get there as soon as possible.
1:38:54 > 1:38:59We see what happens when the authorities promise to take action,
1:38:59 > 1:39:03and find that even when illegals want to leave the country,
1:39:03 > 1:39:06it can sometimes be surprisingly difficult.
1:39:08 > 1:39:10The same week as he got his travel document,
1:39:10 > 1:39:13the Home Office cancelled his application to go back.
1:39:14 > 1:39:17As the row over immigration escalates,
1:39:17 > 1:39:19with Romanians and Bulgarians free to work here
1:39:19 > 1:39:22from the beginning of this year...
1:39:24 > 1:39:28..we offer a revealing insight into the lives of some immigrants
1:39:28 > 1:39:31who inhabit a hidden world -
1:39:31 > 1:39:34of poverty, illegality...
1:39:35 > 1:39:37..and occasionally, hope.
1:39:50 > 1:39:53This is Ilford, in the borough of Redbridge, in East London.
1:39:54 > 1:39:56We chose to come here
1:39:56 > 1:39:59because it's one of the most diverse places in Britain.
1:40:00 > 1:40:04Thriving immigrant communities have been here for decades.
1:40:05 > 1:40:08THEY CHANT
1:40:09 > 1:40:11This is the Dasara festival,
1:40:11 > 1:40:15an important event in the Indian Hindu calendar
1:40:15 > 1:40:18that celebrates the victory of good over evil.
1:40:20 > 1:40:23Its chief organiser here is Kamal Voruganti.
1:40:24 > 1:40:28He came here from India in 2002 on a student visa
1:40:28 > 1:40:32and, within three years, he opened his own solicitors' firm,
1:40:32 > 1:40:34serving the community in Ilford.
1:40:36 > 1:40:39What has this country given to you?
1:40:39 > 1:40:42I would say respect, and a good life.
1:40:43 > 1:40:46A lot more because people respect you
1:40:46 > 1:40:47if you are a solicitor,
1:40:47 > 1:40:48they trust you.
1:40:55 > 1:40:58After five years successfully running his law firm,
1:40:58 > 1:41:03in 2012, Kamal was eligible to become a full British citizen.
1:41:06 > 1:41:07Let's go and play.
1:41:07 > 1:41:10During that time, Kamal's wife joined him from India
1:41:10 > 1:41:12and they had a son.
1:41:13 > 1:41:15How do you play it?
1:41:15 > 1:41:19Is this now your home? Are you going to bring your son up as British?
1:41:20 > 1:41:25Yes, he himself is a British citizen now. He was born here
1:41:25 > 1:41:28and I want him to... if God gives me a power,
1:41:28 > 1:41:30I want to make him Prime Minister of this country.
1:41:39 > 1:41:44Whilst Kamal represents successful legal immigration from India,
1:41:44 > 1:41:48further down the road in Ilford, we've discovered a different story.
1:41:52 > 1:41:54It's illegal immigrants,
1:41:54 > 1:41:57a group whose presence causes most public concern.
1:42:02 > 1:42:05We wanted to gain access to their underworld.
1:42:05 > 1:42:08So we arranged to meet Shanki.
1:42:08 > 1:42:12He came from India's Punjab eight years ago, seeking his fortune.
1:42:15 > 1:42:18- You're Shanki?- Yeah. - How are you, man?- Good.
1:42:18 > 1:42:21The bells are ringing at the moment we meet.
1:42:35 > 1:42:38You thought you were going to come here and earn nearly £200,000?
1:42:38 > 1:42:40Yeah.
1:42:46 > 1:42:50Shanki got into Britain on a tourist visa
1:42:50 > 1:42:52and vanished when it expired.
1:42:53 > 1:42:55UK immigration didn't pick this up
1:42:55 > 1:42:59because data isn't gathered on who leaves the country.
1:43:02 > 1:43:05- When you came here, you had a tourist visa.- Yeah.
1:43:05 > 1:43:08So you lied to get into this country, didn't you?
1:43:10 > 1:43:12Yeah, I know.
1:43:15 > 1:43:18This graveyard is one of his hangouts.
1:43:20 > 1:43:24Illegals like Shanki and these men are called fugees,
1:43:24 > 1:43:26Indian for "footsoldiers".
1:43:28 > 1:43:32Harish says he was trafficked into Britain on a lorry via Belgium.
1:43:33 > 1:43:37He wanted to create a better future for his children back in India.
1:43:46 > 1:43:49But Harish now sleeps rough, near Ilford's town centre.
1:43:52 > 1:43:55He's out of work and isn't entitled to any benefits.
1:44:07 > 1:44:09What do you think is going to happen to you?
1:44:41 > 1:44:44The guys, I have so many guys, no work, I know.
1:44:44 > 1:44:47We're going to spend the next few months
1:44:47 > 1:44:49following the lives of these men.
1:44:55 > 1:44:57OK, ladies and gentlemen!
1:44:57 > 1:45:00- Yes?- Come close.
1:45:00 > 1:45:03Right. The boxes, what must you not do?
1:45:04 > 1:45:07- Scatter them. - Please don't scatter the boxes, OK?
1:45:07 > 1:45:10It's only me and Sophie in today, so we're very short-staffed,
1:45:10 > 1:45:13but we'll see you as quickly as possible. Come in.
1:45:15 > 1:45:19For Ilford's struggling immigrants, there is a lifeline -
1:45:19 > 1:45:24this charity, RAMFEL, the Refugee and Migrant Forum of East London.
1:45:25 > 1:45:26No, not today.
1:45:26 > 1:45:30- I'm late. - Yeah, I know you're late.
1:45:30 > 1:45:32Harish has come for a change of clothes.
1:45:34 > 1:45:36- What language? - Punjabi, he can speak Punjabi.
1:45:36 > 1:45:38- He's just drunk...- How are you?
1:45:38 > 1:45:42..and the client's a bit unsettled about it, so will you watch him?
1:45:42 > 1:45:45- Yeah.- And then once he's finished... - That's fine.- Cheers.
1:45:47 > 1:45:51- Aseem, make sure he doesn't go out the fire exit, yeah?- OK.
1:45:51 > 1:45:55More than half the rough sleepers in London are now foreign nationals.
1:45:59 > 1:46:01Sorry, my brother. I've changed my clothes.
1:46:04 > 1:46:06Because they're very dirty, man.
1:46:06 > 1:46:08I'm sorry, brother.
1:46:08 > 1:46:10- I can only give you one pasta.- Yeah.
1:46:10 > 1:46:13One... No, I can't. Just one.
1:46:13 > 1:46:18Chief Executive Rita Chadha is a figure of hope for immigrants...
1:46:18 > 1:46:20Next week. OK?
1:46:20 > 1:46:23..providing them not just with the basics, but also,
1:46:23 > 1:46:24professional services
1:46:24 > 1:46:27to help them sort out their immigration status.
1:46:27 > 1:46:29The people that we see increasingly
1:46:29 > 1:46:32are the most vulnerable and the most frustrated as well.
1:46:32 > 1:46:35They've reached the end of the line in lots of respects.
1:46:35 > 1:46:37I wouldn't say we're their last hope,
1:46:37 > 1:46:42but we're kind of their last definite stand before they have to make
1:46:42 > 1:46:45a final decision about whether they stay or go back home.
1:46:46 > 1:46:49You set off one fire alarm, you set off one thing,
1:46:49 > 1:46:51you upset one staff member or client here,
1:46:51 > 1:46:55I'm going to chuck you out completely. Do I make myself clear?
1:46:55 > 1:46:58Right, well, look at this and everything. You'll have to come in...
1:46:58 > 1:47:00Rita is British-born,
1:47:00 > 1:47:02the child of immigrants who came here in the '60s.
1:47:02 > 1:47:04Why didn't you do this before?
1:47:04 > 1:47:06'I actually see myself as an outsider.'
1:47:06 > 1:47:09- Outsider, why? In what way? - Because I'm British Asian female
1:47:09 > 1:47:12and my gender and my race will always get in the way.
1:47:12 > 1:47:14That's not to say I've got a chip on my shoulder,
1:47:14 > 1:47:16but I can understand...
1:47:16 > 1:47:18if I'm discriminated against,
1:47:18 > 1:47:21and I can take care of myself and I was born in London,
1:47:21 > 1:47:24then I can definitely understand how the people that I work with
1:47:24 > 1:47:26are in a much, much worse position.
1:47:29 > 1:47:31Some of her clients are in long battles
1:47:31 > 1:47:34with the immigration authorities to be allowed to stay here.
1:47:34 > 1:47:35Have a seat.
1:47:35 > 1:47:39For Christine, from Kenya, it's been seven years.
1:47:39 > 1:47:41- How are you?- I'm fine.
1:47:41 > 1:47:44- I've got good news.- Oh, thank you.
1:47:44 > 1:47:46- As I told you before...- Yes, please.
1:47:46 > 1:47:50- ..you'll get further discretionary leave to remain...- Yes.
1:47:50 > 1:47:54..until nine of August, 2016.
1:47:57 > 1:47:58Thanks, God.
1:47:59 > 1:48:05Getting it is hard time, it's tough, it's a rough road.
1:48:05 > 1:48:07You don't sleep every time, you just say,
1:48:07 > 1:48:11you wake up, you're like, "What will happen? What will happen?"
1:48:11 > 1:48:15Thanks, God, I'm happy. I'm happy! I feel like jumping!
1:48:17 > 1:48:18Bye!
1:48:18 > 1:48:22This is great to me. I can work freely in England.
1:48:22 > 1:48:24Thank you so much!
1:48:24 > 1:48:26SHE LAUGHS
1:48:26 > 1:48:28Bye!
1:48:31 > 1:48:35Rita's organisation faces its own battle for survival.
1:48:37 > 1:48:40There's a current threat to its funding.
1:48:47 > 1:48:50When Britain's economy was booming, there was plenty of work for Shanki.
1:48:52 > 1:48:54He says he was part of an army of immigrants
1:48:54 > 1:48:56working mostly in construction.
1:49:14 > 1:49:16Shanki says he was employed to work on buildings
1:49:16 > 1:49:19in the financial district in London.
1:49:21 > 1:49:24His illegal status meant working cash in hand.
1:49:41 > 1:49:45He destroyed his passport, in case he was picked up by Immigration.
1:49:45 > 1:49:50But he says the lack of documents didn't stop British employers
1:49:50 > 1:49:53recruiting him as a source of cheap labour,
1:49:53 > 1:49:55though it's difficult to check what he told us.
1:49:57 > 1:49:59The Government now takes a tougher stance.
1:49:59 > 1:50:03Employers face heavy fines for hiring illegal workers.
1:50:22 > 1:50:25Shanki says the crackdown is hitting him hard.
1:50:27 > 1:50:29With no work, he's living rough.
1:50:31 > 1:50:33He and his group of illegals
1:50:33 > 1:50:36are hiding out in this derelict house in Ilford.
1:50:39 > 1:50:41Here they come now. Hey, Shanki, how are you doing?
1:50:42 > 1:50:44- You all right, man?- Yeah.
1:50:44 > 1:50:48- You OK? Is everything all right? - Yeah.- Are we OK to go?- Yeah.
1:50:57 > 1:50:59They have agreed to show us their secret haunt.
1:51:04 > 1:51:07I'm going to take a slightly more orthodox route up.
1:51:07 > 1:51:09I don't even know if I'm going to make it,
1:51:09 > 1:51:12because it's quite a considerable height, but I'll give it a go.
1:51:26 > 1:51:28OK...
1:51:30 > 1:51:32Watch for nails
1:51:32 > 1:51:34and bits of broken glass here.
1:51:37 > 1:51:38Take care coming through here.
1:51:38 > 1:51:41There are broken floorboards.
1:51:45 > 1:51:49I have to say, guys, it doesn't smell too good, huh?
1:51:49 > 1:51:50Yeah...
1:51:50 > 1:51:52Yeah.
1:52:02 > 1:52:04- You don't notice the smell?- Yeah.
1:52:04 > 1:52:07There's all these flies everywhere as well.
1:52:09 > 1:52:11Now... Nothing.
1:52:14 > 1:52:17- It's a hard place to live. - Yeah, yes.
1:52:17 > 1:52:22I'm not often speechless in places, but this is really...
1:52:22 > 1:52:24This is as bad as it gets, huh?
1:52:27 > 1:52:29Buckingham Palace for you?
1:52:29 > 1:52:33- Yes.- Can I just go and have a look around the rest?- Yeah, yeah.
1:52:40 > 1:52:43- Whoa.- Be careful there.- Yeah.
1:52:44 > 1:52:46Oh, wow, the banister's gone here.
1:52:49 > 1:52:51It's a rubbish dump down there?
1:52:53 > 1:52:55Nobody goes downstairs? So what do you do with the downstairs?
1:52:59 > 1:53:00Hang on, you just said...
1:53:00 > 1:53:02new people come and they shit down there?
1:53:05 > 1:53:08- So you stand here and you urinate over there?- Yeah.
1:53:08 > 1:53:11And people defecate over there as well?
1:53:17 > 1:53:19This was the toilet.
1:53:20 > 1:53:24This is full of flies as well.
1:53:24 > 1:53:29Oh, dear God! It's wretched. There's no other word for it.
1:53:35 > 1:53:38You know when you wake up here in the morning
1:53:38 > 1:53:42and you kind of realise where you are, what goes through your mind?
1:54:11 > 1:54:13Best to move fairly gingerly around here.
1:54:13 > 1:54:16I'm on my way back out now.
1:54:16 > 1:54:18The thing that...
1:54:19 > 1:54:21..Shanki said to me in there about,
1:54:21 > 1:54:24you know, to him, it's like Buckingham Palace...
1:54:26 > 1:54:28..I guess it is, if the option is sleeping on the streets.
1:54:32 > 1:54:37They have fallen so far from the path of normal life,
1:54:37 > 1:54:38it's almost impossible to imagine
1:54:38 > 1:54:41what the way back for them is going to be.
1:54:58 > 1:55:02As it becomes more difficult for illegal immigrants to get work,
1:55:02 > 1:55:05some are trying to get out of Britain.
1:55:07 > 1:55:11In Ilford, it's Rita who they turn to for advice.
1:55:13 > 1:55:16This is part of the British dream,
1:55:16 > 1:55:19and this is the bit where a lot of these guys end up
1:55:19 > 1:55:22because there is no other option for them.
1:55:26 > 1:55:30Satpal is a former Indian soldier.
1:55:30 > 1:55:33He's been illegal for eight years and laboured in construction.
1:55:35 > 1:55:39But rather than stay in these conditions without work,
1:55:39 > 1:55:42he's decided to return to his wife and children.
1:55:45 > 1:55:48His friend Harbans, a former Indian police officer,
1:55:48 > 1:55:53worked illegally too, until he was badly injured on a building site.
1:55:55 > 1:55:58I think it's degrading. I think it's inhuman.
1:55:58 > 1:56:02I think it's embarrassing, both to hear, to watch,
1:56:02 > 1:56:04to see somebody else go through like this
1:56:04 > 1:56:06and know there's absolutely nothing you can do.
1:56:06 > 1:56:09All you can do is try and lift them out of this situation.
1:56:14 > 1:56:18Satpal is asking the Home Office to admit him to its scheme
1:56:18 > 1:56:21which pays for illegal immigrants to quit Britain.
1:56:24 > 1:56:29In 2012, the Individual Voluntary Assisted Returns process
1:56:29 > 1:56:32helped nearly 1,200 to leave.
1:56:38 > 1:56:40But it's difficult for Satpal
1:56:40 > 1:56:43to understand why he can't just get on a flight.
1:56:43 > 1:56:46Eight months after he volunteered to leave,
1:56:46 > 1:56:50he is frustrated by bureaucracy, although some of his problems
1:56:50 > 1:56:53are caused because he's missed a number of appointments.
1:56:54 > 1:56:58RITA SPEAKS SATPAL'S LANGUAGE
1:56:58 > 1:57:02Rita is helping Satpal with his case, but he's lost his passport
1:57:02 > 1:57:05and it's a government requirement for the scheme.
1:57:09 > 1:57:11There is a deadline to submit one,
1:57:11 > 1:57:13or his application will be cancelled.
1:57:18 > 1:57:21But the Indian High Commission won't issue a replacement
1:57:21 > 1:57:25until they've checked the evidence he is an Indian national.
1:57:30 > 1:57:32It's a stressful time,
1:57:32 > 1:57:35especially since everything else has gone wrong for him.
1:57:37 > 1:57:39He's been struggling to find work.
1:57:39 > 1:57:42He's been exploited quite a few times
1:57:42 > 1:57:46by builders who have taken him on for a day's cheap labour
1:57:46 > 1:57:48and then not paid him anything at all.
1:57:48 > 1:57:51He's been injured recently as well, working on a building site,
1:57:51 > 1:57:54so basically, he's come to the end of his time here.
1:58:03 > 1:58:08Even though Satpal is suffering, he says he hasn't broken the law.
1:58:09 > 1:58:12How important was it for you not to get drawn into crime?
1:58:28 > 1:58:31'Events at home are weighing heavily on Satpal.'
1:58:42 > 1:58:46'His Indian army pension should take care of his family,
1:58:46 > 1:58:50'but only if he can get home in time to activate it.'
1:59:11 > 1:59:15After months with little progress, all he can do is wait
1:59:15 > 1:59:17and hope for news of a breakthrough.
1:59:17 > 1:59:22He relies on odd jobs for any cash to spend on alcohol.
1:59:24 > 1:59:27If you're here and you're destitute,
1:59:27 > 1:59:30dependent on drink or drugs, or frantically trying to get work
1:59:30 > 1:59:33that isn't there, you'd be much better off going home, wouldn't you?
1:59:33 > 1:59:36Yes, you would, but it has to be your decision,
1:59:36 > 1:59:37a decision that you make willingly.
1:59:37 > 1:59:39Why does it have to be your decision?
1:59:39 > 1:59:42- Because...- If you're in a country illegally.- Because...
1:59:42 > 1:59:45If you're in a country illegally, you may still have a reason why
1:59:45 > 1:59:49you came over here. It may be economic. What are you going back to?
1:59:49 > 1:59:51To people, for example, living here in Ilford,
1:59:51 > 1:59:54- to them, it's a nightmare.- To them, it is, but they need to look at it
1:59:54 > 1:59:57in the broader context. That is a very, very small problem...
1:59:57 > 1:59:59But you're not going to look at things in the broader context
1:59:59 > 2:00:02- when it's in front of you, are you? - Then you've got to understand
2:00:02 > 2:00:04the reality behind that situation that you're seeing.
2:00:04 > 2:00:08You've got to understand what's forced that person into that situation.
2:00:12 > 2:00:15Satpal has told his family how desperate he is
2:00:15 > 2:00:18to clear the obstacles and get home,
2:00:18 > 2:00:22but he and Harbans have kept secret just how bad things are.
2:00:44 > 2:00:47It's not just illegals who face difficulties.
2:00:49 > 2:00:52- Morning, guys.- Good morning.
2:00:52 > 2:00:57These Eastern Europeans have come to Rita's charity RAMFEL for help.
2:01:00 > 2:01:05Since 2004, when the European Union opened its doors to them,
2:01:05 > 2:01:08hundreds of thousands have immigrated to Britain.
2:01:08 > 2:01:12- Eggs, yeah. - And you're doing one thing...
2:01:16 > 2:01:21Lithuanians Rolandas and Oksana have been here legally since 2011.
2:01:23 > 2:01:26They say the chance for work attracted them to Britain
2:01:26 > 2:01:30and they used an agent who promised he could help them.
2:01:42 > 2:01:44Rolandas and Oksana are homeless.
2:01:44 > 2:01:47- OK?- Yes, OK.- My name is Rita...
2:01:47 > 2:01:52They've come to ask Rita for help to get somewhere to live,
2:01:52 > 2:01:54but the checks reveal a problem.
2:01:54 > 2:01:57Can I have a look at your documents?
2:01:59 > 2:02:02You've been in trouble with the police?
2:02:04 > 2:02:06OK, when did you get released?
2:02:06 > 2:02:07OKSANA TRANSLATES
2:02:09 > 2:02:12- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
2:02:13 > 2:02:17Both were heroin addicts with criminal convictions,
2:02:17 > 2:02:20Rolandas for burglary, Oksana for shoplifting.
2:02:22 > 2:02:24When we met them, they were four months clean
2:02:24 > 2:02:30and said they weren't involved in ASB - antisocial behaviour.
2:02:30 > 2:02:34But with their backgrounds, they struggle to find accommodation.
2:02:36 > 2:02:38When we look for housing for him,
2:02:38 > 2:02:42they're going to identify the fact that he's had ASB issues in the past
2:02:42 > 2:02:45and so from that point of view, they may decline
2:02:45 > 2:02:48some types of housing and landlords may frown upon that.
2:02:50 > 2:02:53They have no source of income.
2:02:53 > 2:02:58Rolandas is entitled to benefits as an EU citizen and is signing on
2:02:58 > 2:03:02at the job centre, but he's waiting for his money to come through.
2:03:03 > 2:03:06Oksana is waiting for a new passport
2:03:06 > 2:03:10so she can get a national insurance number and apply for benefits.
2:03:19 > 2:03:23For now, home is Manor Park, near Ilford.
2:03:28 > 2:03:30They've been here for two weeks,
2:03:30 > 2:03:33though park authorities don't allow rough sleepers.
2:04:40 > 2:04:43- This is my home! - THEY LAUGH
2:04:59 > 2:05:03# I once was lost
2:05:03 > 2:05:07# But now I'm found
2:05:07 > 2:05:10# Was blind... #
2:05:10 > 2:05:13For food, Rolandas and Oksana rely on charity
2:05:13 > 2:05:16from organisations like this church group.
2:05:21 > 2:05:25This project helps Ilford's homeless, wherever they come from.
2:05:45 > 2:05:47When we encountered Shanki again,
2:05:47 > 2:05:52we found him trying to steal coins from shopping trolleys.
2:05:52 > 2:05:55He's desperate for money because he's hooked on heroin
2:05:55 > 2:05:57and crack cocaine.
2:06:00 > 2:06:04You know, I wondered, after speaking to you the first time,
2:06:04 > 2:06:07how you kind of look after yourself physically?
2:06:25 > 2:06:28- It's all over your...- Yeah.
2:06:36 > 2:06:37I see.
2:06:42 > 2:06:44This can kill you.
2:06:45 > 2:06:47This drug taking.
2:07:03 > 2:07:07Shanki didn't blame anybody else for his situation.
2:07:08 > 2:07:11He clearly felt embarrassed he'd come to Britain
2:07:11 > 2:07:13and ended up a failure.
2:07:51 > 2:07:55There were moments - many - when he swore to give up drugs.
2:08:29 > 2:08:32But Shanki kept going back to his old ways.
2:09:18 > 2:09:23To feed their addiction, Shanki and the others are stealing every day.
2:09:23 > 2:09:27They're notorious to businesses in Ilford.
2:09:27 > 2:09:31You started shoplifting. How does that work? Where do you go?
2:09:34 > 2:09:37- And you steal and then sell what you steal?- Sell.
2:09:41 > 2:09:43How much do you make?
2:09:48 > 2:09:50More than £150 a day?
2:09:52 > 2:09:54And you spend all that on...
2:10:01 > 2:10:05It is difficult under the current system to deal with Shanki
2:10:05 > 2:10:06and his associates.
2:10:08 > 2:10:13He can be deported if he gets a prison sentence of 24 months or more
2:10:13 > 2:10:18but so far his offences have drawn shorter terms.
2:10:18 > 2:10:23How many times have you been to court because of shoplifting?
2:10:26 > 2:10:28Nine times?
2:10:35 > 2:10:37So, let me get this right.
2:10:37 > 2:10:41Nine convictions for shoplifting and three spells in prison?
2:10:41 > 2:10:42Yeah.
2:10:42 > 2:10:45What's happening to you at the moment?
2:10:45 > 2:10:47Do you have anything over you, a conviction?
2:10:51 > 2:10:53And are you doing the community service?
2:10:53 > 2:10:54Really?
2:10:59 > 2:11:03Shanki, I could be wrong, but something about the look
2:11:03 > 2:11:07on your face tells me... maybe you are, maybe you're not.
2:11:08 > 2:11:11Am I right?
2:11:21 > 2:11:25But even if the authorities attempt to deport Shanki,
2:11:25 > 2:11:28like many fugees, he's destroyed his passport,
2:11:28 > 2:11:33so they can't find out which country to send him back to.
2:11:35 > 2:11:38A lot of people listening to you, watching you,
2:11:38 > 2:11:41might say, "Who does this guy think he is?
2:11:41 > 2:11:44- "He comes to this country, he steals from us."- Yes.
2:11:44 > 2:11:46You could understand how they'd be furious.
2:11:54 > 2:11:57These crimes hurt the community.
2:11:57 > 2:12:00Shanki's squat-mate Lucky
2:12:00 > 2:12:04was arrested shortly after we met him here, for a spate of thefts,
2:12:04 > 2:12:09including burgling a local business, Noori Foods.
2:12:13 > 2:12:17The owner, Mr Nasim, is the child of British citizens
2:12:17 > 2:12:20but grew up in Pakistan.
2:12:20 > 2:12:25He came here in 1995 and built this business.
2:12:26 > 2:12:29He represents immigrant success,
2:12:29 > 2:12:34previous generations who've settled here and are doing well.
2:12:34 > 2:12:37But he's been hit by a series of robberies,
2:12:37 > 2:12:39including the one committed by Lucky.
2:12:39 > 2:12:42- Hello.- How are you? Nice to see you.
2:12:43 > 2:12:46You're open how many days a week?
2:12:48 > 2:12:51Seven days a week? OK, so you work hard.
2:12:58 > 2:13:00I want to know from you,
2:13:00 > 2:13:05what impact do the break-ins have on your business?
2:13:22 > 2:13:26Lucky pleaded guilty and told us he was sorry for robbing Mr Nasim.
2:13:28 > 2:13:30Do you accept that kind of sorry?
2:13:41 > 2:13:45Lucky spent eight weeks on remand in prison for the robbery.
2:13:45 > 2:13:49He was released, providing he agreed to undergo drugs assessments
2:13:49 > 2:13:52and appear in court three weeks later to be sentenced.
2:14:08 > 2:14:10Despite his promise to the court,
2:14:10 > 2:14:14he liked being on the outside so much he went on the run.
2:14:20 > 2:14:24Fugees like Lucky and Shanki live on the margins of
2:14:24 > 2:14:26a thriving Sikh community in Ilford.
2:14:29 > 2:14:34At this gurdwara temple they dispense charity to the poor,
2:14:34 > 2:14:36including the illegals.
2:14:41 > 2:14:46Harmander Singh is an administrator of the temple and a magistrate.
2:14:46 > 2:14:50His father and grandfather fought for Britain in the World Wars.
2:14:51 > 2:14:53The Sikhs in particular
2:14:53 > 2:14:57were part and parcel of the First and Second World Wars
2:14:57 > 2:15:00in making Britain what it is today.
2:15:00 > 2:15:03You know, we've done our bit, we've contributed,
2:15:03 > 2:15:05we've made the ultimate sacrifices.
2:15:06 > 2:15:11Britain satisfied his family's desire for prosperity and security.
2:15:11 > 2:15:13This is my country.
2:15:13 > 2:15:17I need a visa to go somewhere else, I don't need a visa to be here.
2:15:19 > 2:15:22Even though illegals are not turned away,
2:15:22 > 2:15:25there's resentment that the antisocial behaviour of some
2:15:25 > 2:15:29is harming the established Sikh community.
2:15:29 > 2:15:32Your identity and your presence here
2:15:32 > 2:15:35- you feel is being threatened by these new arrivals?- It is.
2:15:35 > 2:15:37Absolutely.
2:15:37 > 2:15:40And I'm not saying that they're bad people.
2:15:40 > 2:15:44It's the fact that the system has allowed these individuals
2:15:44 > 2:15:49to be brought over, trafficked under false pretences, with no going back.
2:15:49 > 2:15:51But do you feel they should go back?
2:15:51 > 2:15:55I feel that they have a lot of contribution to make to their own countries
2:15:55 > 2:15:57and they ought to get there as soon as possible.
2:15:57 > 2:16:00'As the interview ended, Shanki turned up.
2:16:00 > 2:16:04'It was an opportunity to find out what they'd say to each other.'
2:16:04 > 2:16:08- If he wants to go back home, there's a process to be followed.- Yeah. - And he should do that.
2:16:11 > 2:16:15You know, this isn't your home. It's temporarily you're here...
2:16:29 > 2:16:33So, even as bad as things are here, it's still better than India,
2:16:33 > 2:16:36seems to be what he's saying.
2:16:40 > 2:16:44In summer 2013, the government ratcheted up
2:16:44 > 2:16:46its campaign to find illegals.
2:16:47 > 2:16:51Ad vans were sent to London warning arrests would follow
2:16:51 > 2:16:53if they didn't turn themselves in.
2:16:54 > 2:16:57Only 11 people left the UK as a result.
2:17:02 > 2:17:06But even if illegals want out, there are obstacles.
2:17:06 > 2:17:10The voluntary return system can prove bureaucratic
2:17:10 > 2:17:13and requires applicants to keep a number of appointments.
2:17:13 > 2:17:17Satpal has missed some because of his drinking.
2:17:20 > 2:17:24And after the eight-month wait there's bad news.
2:17:24 > 2:17:28His new passport is through, but too late.
2:17:28 > 2:17:33The Home Office deadline hasn't been met. Rita is furious.
2:17:41 > 2:17:44The same week as he got his travel document,
2:17:44 > 2:17:47and that's been a lot of bureaucracy with the Indian High Commission,
2:17:47 > 2:17:50the Home Office cancelled his application to go back,
2:17:50 > 2:17:53so what that now means is he had a provisional flight booked,
2:17:53 > 2:17:56he was all ready to go, and we've got to go back to the beginning
2:17:56 > 2:18:00so the Home Office can reassess his application to go home.
2:18:05 > 2:18:08To reapply, Satpal must be fingerprinted again
2:18:08 > 2:18:11by Home Office officials in central London.
2:18:12 > 2:18:16In India, the delays are straining family relations.
2:18:17 > 2:18:19He's just told me now as well
2:18:19 > 2:18:21that his wife doesn't believe he's even trying to come back,
2:18:21 > 2:18:25so he wants me to talk to his wife to explain some of the difficulties.
2:18:27 > 2:18:29Rita is going with them
2:18:29 > 2:18:33to make sure they don't upset other Tube travellers.
2:18:36 > 2:18:38Sometimes it is quite noticeable, especially
2:18:38 > 2:18:43if people have got alcohol issues as well, and then they're a bit lairy.
2:18:43 > 2:18:46Luckily they're quite calm and they blend in like everybody else,
2:18:46 > 2:18:50so they wouldn't stand out as an illegal immigrant at the moment.
2:18:58 > 2:19:01It's Harbans's first time to apply to leave.
2:19:03 > 2:19:07But for Satpal this is all too familiar.
2:19:13 > 2:19:17Basically we're back in a situation again where actually
2:19:17 > 2:19:19he's now waiting for another answer
2:19:19 > 2:19:22and he's waiting for another decision on when he can fly out.
2:19:23 > 2:19:25If the system works,
2:19:25 > 2:19:30Satpal will have to wait about another month before he can leave.
2:19:38 > 2:19:41After four weeks in their makeshift shelter,
2:19:41 > 2:19:44Rolandas and Oksana have been evicted
2:19:44 > 2:19:48by Manor Park authorities and warned not to come back.
2:19:50 > 2:19:53They don't know where they're going to sleep tonight
2:19:53 > 2:19:57but there's a slim hope Rita might be able to help them.
2:19:57 > 2:20:02We have found you two somewhere to live tonight, OK? Right?
2:20:02 > 2:20:04This may be a permanent place,
2:20:04 > 2:20:07right, but you have to follow exactly what we say.
2:20:11 > 2:20:13Just, you know... Just...
2:20:21 > 2:20:24Landlord Steve Singh is one of the few
2:20:24 > 2:20:28willing to work with clients that Rita refers.
2:20:28 > 2:20:29Come.
2:20:31 > 2:20:35He's giving them a room in a shared house with other EU immigrants.
2:20:35 > 2:20:37OK, this is your room.
2:20:37 > 2:20:41He'll get paid rent from the benefits they receive.
2:20:41 > 2:20:46- Are you happy with that?- Yes, yes. - Happy with the room?- Very!
2:20:46 > 2:20:47Very happy.
2:20:47 > 2:20:51I will tell you again, I won't tolerate any drug abuse.
2:20:51 > 2:20:54- Yeah, don't worry about that. - Any drugs, any alcohol.- All right.
2:21:59 > 2:22:01They've stayed off drugs,
2:22:01 > 2:22:03no easy achievement for heroin addicts.
2:22:05 > 2:22:09But they're dependent on the benefits Rolandas receives.
2:22:10 > 2:22:14- So how are you?- Yeah, it's all right.- Settling in OK?- Yes.
2:22:15 > 2:22:20How much do you get? How much do you have to live on at the moment?
2:22:37 > 2:22:39Back in your home country,
2:22:39 > 2:22:41what benefits are available there? Are there any?
2:22:44 > 2:22:50Do you understand when some British people who hear you say that,
2:22:50 > 2:22:54that the benefits are better here and you wouldn't get the same in Lithuania,
2:22:54 > 2:22:56they're pretty furious, really,
2:22:56 > 2:23:01that you're here... on the British taxpayers' expense?
2:23:17 > 2:23:22It's late summer and back at Shanki's hideout, he's been evicted.
2:23:26 > 2:23:32"Secured by Sitex Orbis property and people protection 24/7.
2:23:32 > 2:23:36"24/7 response centre."
2:23:56 > 2:24:00Shanki's skin condition was also worsening.
2:24:00 > 2:24:02All right? Take a seat for us.
2:24:02 > 2:24:05We told Rita, and she offered an appointment with a medic at RAMFEL.
2:24:05 > 2:24:07- Have a seat, please.- Cheers.
2:24:13 > 2:24:16I never saw like this, ever.
2:24:35 > 2:24:38Hello, good afternoon. My name is Nihad, I'm calling from RAMFEL.
2:24:38 > 2:24:41I actually have a client which is your client as well
2:24:41 > 2:24:44and he want appointment, actually, as soon, please.
2:24:44 > 2:24:46You're in luck.
2:24:48 > 2:24:53Nihad was able to get Shanki an appointment the next day with a GP.
2:24:53 > 2:24:56He has been registered as a patient before
2:24:56 > 2:24:58but hadn't attended for several years.
2:24:58 > 2:25:01Lucky you are. OK?
2:25:07 > 2:25:10The government is examining the current situation
2:25:10 > 2:25:12where some illegal immigrants
2:25:12 > 2:25:15have been getting free treatment on the NHS.
2:25:17 > 2:25:21Your doctor referred you to a specialist back in 2010, didn't he?
2:25:21 > 2:25:26- Did the specialist ever discuss with you any light therapy?- No.
2:25:45 > 2:25:48But Shanki's condition isn't helped by the fact
2:25:48 > 2:25:51that he's back sleeping in the open.
2:26:58 > 2:27:00But time is running out for Shanki.
2:27:08 > 2:27:11Just days later, he and his associates
2:27:11 > 2:27:15went on one of their biggest jobs - Marks & Spencer's.
2:27:15 > 2:27:20They robbed £1,500 worth of clothes but were caught red-handed.
2:27:21 > 2:27:24All were given jail sentences.
2:27:29 > 2:27:32For his fourth prison term, Shanki got 16 weeks.
2:27:33 > 2:27:38It might have been less if he'd entered a drugs rehab programme.
2:27:38 > 2:27:40He refused.
2:27:47 > 2:27:50SHE SPEAKS SAPTAL'S LANGUAGE
2:27:50 > 2:27:54It's a month since Satpal's latest application to go home
2:27:54 > 2:27:58and it's good news. He has the clearance he needs.
2:27:58 > 2:28:00Overall, he's waited nine months.
2:28:02 > 2:28:04It has been a long and tortuous process.
2:28:04 > 2:28:06I still don't think I'll believe it
2:28:06 > 2:28:09until he's on the plane and he gets to the other side.
2:28:18 > 2:28:20The travel day has arrived.
2:28:21 > 2:28:24WOMAN SINGS
2:28:28 > 2:28:33After eight years, Satpal will get to see his family.
2:28:34 > 2:28:35Before he leaves Ilford,
2:28:35 > 2:28:40he wants to offer prayers at the temple which helped him often.
2:29:07 > 2:29:09But his departure is bittersweet for Rita.
2:29:12 > 2:29:16I'm happy for him on an individual and human basis,
2:29:16 > 2:29:21I'm sad because on a personal level, I feel a bit of a failure.
2:29:21 > 2:29:26And I feel that we should have done more to make his stay in the UK
2:29:26 > 2:29:27a bit more comfortable.
2:29:27 > 2:29:29And it's sad to see somebody
2:29:29 > 2:29:32just have to abandon their dreams like this.
2:30:18 > 2:30:23As immigration authorities struggle to answer the political clamour
2:30:23 > 2:30:25for tougher action, on the frontline,
2:30:25 > 2:30:28Rita herself is in a fight to keep open her lifeline
2:30:28 > 2:30:31for Ilford's struggling immigrants.
2:30:32 > 2:30:35Her funding runs out in a few months.
2:30:37 > 2:30:42We're not a popular cause, we get as much criticism as we get praise.
2:30:42 > 2:30:44I stand by everything this organisation's done,
2:30:44 > 2:30:47and I'm proud of what we've achieved. I don't know what the future brings.
2:30:47 > 2:30:51I hope we're still alive come the next year. If we're not,
2:30:51 > 2:30:53then we'll close with some dignity and, hopefully,
2:30:53 > 2:30:57we can still find a way of helping people who really need it.
2:31:02 > 2:31:04After several weeks in their shared house,
2:31:04 > 2:31:07Rolandas' wife Oksana's jobseeker's benefit
2:31:07 > 2:31:09has come through.
2:31:10 > 2:31:13But because of information they've given to the authorities,
2:31:13 > 2:31:16they're receiving £32 a week
2:31:16 > 2:31:17more than they are entitled to.
2:31:18 > 2:31:20When you claim benefits,
2:31:20 > 2:31:22do you claim as a married couple,
2:31:22 > 2:31:24or do you claim as single people?
2:31:25 > 2:31:27- Single.- But you're married.
2:31:30 > 2:31:31Are you going to tell the authorities?
2:31:31 > 2:31:33Because, you know, you're married
2:31:33 > 2:31:36and you're claiming as single people, which is...
2:31:36 > 2:31:37it's cheating the system.
2:31:37 > 2:31:40And I think they'd take a dim view of that.
2:31:40 > 2:31:41So you are going to tell them?
2:31:46 > 2:31:50When we asked them weeks later, they still haven't come clean.
2:31:52 > 2:31:56Rolandas has passed a safety exam to work in construction.
2:31:56 > 2:32:00But Oksana turned down a job offer as a hotel cleaner,
2:32:00 > 2:32:02she says because of problems with her leg,
2:32:02 > 2:32:04caused when she was a drug user.
2:32:13 > 2:32:17For Satpal's family, it is the end of eight years
2:32:17 > 2:32:19without a husband, a father.
2:32:28 > 2:32:31Satpal has come with just the clothes he carries.
2:32:40 > 2:32:43He will rely on his army pension now,
2:32:43 > 2:32:46his British dream well and truly behind him.
2:32:52 > 2:32:56For Satpal, it's the first morning to try to rebuild a life
2:32:56 > 2:32:58that has been on hold.
2:33:01 > 2:33:06His daughter, Suprit, was just five years old when he left.
2:33:24 > 2:33:28For a family that dared to dream of riches in a foreign land,
2:33:28 > 2:33:31it has cost them dearly and will continue to,
2:33:31 > 2:33:33according to Satpal's wife.
2:34:15 > 2:34:17Two months after Satpal left,
2:34:17 > 2:34:20there is good news for his old friend Harbans too.
2:34:22 > 2:34:25Rita has seen him through his Home Office application.
2:34:25 > 2:34:28He is leaving for India today.
2:34:32 > 2:34:39Some of the guys gave me a little bit of food...
2:34:42 > 2:34:45This man's life on the streets continues.
2:34:45 > 2:34:48Sleeping rough, drinking hard.
2:35:01 > 2:35:04As for Lucky, he was recaptured,
2:35:04 > 2:35:08but hasn't been given more jail time.
2:35:08 > 2:35:10Instead, the court put him on probation
2:35:10 > 2:35:12and a drugs rehab programme.
2:35:19 > 2:35:23Shanki has served half of his 16-week sentence.
2:35:23 > 2:35:26It's the day he's due to be released.
2:35:26 > 2:35:31We've just had a phone call from inside the prison from Shanki,
2:35:31 > 2:35:32saying, "I'm not coming out."
2:35:32 > 2:35:35Why? It's the immigration authorities.
2:35:35 > 2:35:36They have asked for his file
2:35:36 > 2:35:39and they want to check his immigration status.
2:35:39 > 2:35:43So is this the moment that begins the process of Shanki's deportation
2:35:43 > 2:35:46from Britain? It's quite possible.
2:35:46 > 2:35:49I have to say, however, knowing Shanki's ability
2:35:49 > 2:35:53to stay one step ahead of the system, seven steps ahead,
2:35:53 > 2:35:55I wouldn't bet on it.
2:36:01 > 2:36:03Shanki told us later
2:36:03 > 2:36:07he was working as a cleaner in the prison for £6 a week,
2:36:07 > 2:36:12and with legal aid, he's applying to stay here on humanitarian grounds.
2:36:13 > 2:36:16The stories of the people we followed show how difficult
2:36:16 > 2:36:19the authorities find it to deport illegals,
2:36:19 > 2:36:22despite the tough talk of crackdowns.
2:36:22 > 2:36:26But also, just how bleak life can be for immigrants
2:36:26 > 2:36:29battling to survive in a hidden world of poverty,
2:36:29 > 2:36:32crime and broken dreams.