Every £100 Mr Mugarura earns is equivalent to a few months salary back in Uganda. His work in the UK means he can pay for his family's hospital bills and education. There are no official figures on the number of illegal immigrants working in the UK. ‘You have to keep on the move, if you stay in one place too long you will be found out.’ (Fred Mugarura) Companies that hire people without work permits face fines of up to £5,000. Since May this year, under the amended Asylum and Immigration Act, these companies can be tried in a Crown Court where there is no maximum fine. The amendment is the latest attempt by the UK government to deter employers from hiring cheap and illegal labour. The illegal migrants themselves face deportation if caught. There are no statistics available on how many employers have been fined under the amended or the old legislation. But, as Mr Mugarura explains, no matter what the UK government does, the economic motivation for immigrants remains high. The British embassy has a reputation for being one of the toughest in Uganda. But armed with sufficient knowledge of the visa process to allay suspicion and proof of financial backing, Mr Mugarura got a visitor's visa for six months. The university graduate arrived in London with £200 and the address of an old college friend in South East London. His intention was to earn money to pay for his elder sister's treatment for HIV/Aids and his younger sister's training as a barrister. He also hoped to earn enough money for start-up capital for his own business back in Uganda. In his home country, what he is doing is referred to as ‘nkuba kyeyo’, or working as a sweeper, in reference to the fact that most immigrants end up doing lowly jobs. But although they are lowly, the money sent home helps fuel growth in the Ugandan economy. Mr Mugarura first worked as a security guard, where he was paid £3.80 an hour. The daily shifts from 4pm to 8am took their toll and he fell ill. He then worked in a factory making mobile phone antennas for six weeks. Then he worked as a steward on a train. Several jobs later, he now works in a car park. It is the employer's responsibility to check workers' papers under Article 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act. Employers face a fine of up to £5,000 if the case is tried in a magistrates court. Employers face an unlimited fine if the case is tried in a crown court. The illegal workers face deportation if found out. (Source: Home Office). Finding work even without having the right papers is possible. Mr Mugarura's network of African friends advise him which officials at which employment agencies or workplaces will turn a blind eye to his lack of papers. The downside is he can often find he is earning half as much as other - legal and tax paying - staff at the same workplace. " If you see trouble, keep away from it," he said. "When they start asking too many questions, I will get moving again." Mr Mugarura pays £45 a week to share a room with one other person in East London. His British landlord rents out two rooms to four immigrants, while simultaneously claiming benefit for the property. He misses his family, friends and his status in Ugandan society. And with his illegal jobs not paying much, he finds it difficult to save. "If I am home, I am in the upper class. If I am here, I am absolutely nobody. What drives me is; it is for a limited time," he said. "I don't want to stay here, here I am the lowest of low, doing all the dirty work which no one wants to do". Living in London has also challenged his preconceptions about Westerners. Having seen homeless people huddled under Waterloo Bridge in London, he no longer thinks that all white people are rich. As a Catholic, he was shocked that few people attend Church and by the number of white people who engage in crime. What keeps him here is the money he can send home. "Every time I send back £100, it is 300,000 Ugandan shillings, which is more than I would have earned in three months at home," he said. So far, he has saved 4.2m shillings. What advice does he offer to fellow illegal immigrants? "It is very hard. You at least need somebody to break you in. If you get someone to put you up for a few weeks. If you know nobody... it is very, very hard," he said. Fred Mugarura is a fictitious name. The interviewee's name has been changed to protect his identity. |
