UK landlords renting to illegal immigrants could face jail

London

BRITISH lawmakers pushed a bill against illegal immigrants over its first parliamentary hurdle on Tuesday, amid warnings of a possible rise in discrimination as the government hardens its rhetoric. The proposed law is at the heart of the push by Prime Minister David Cameron's centre-right Conservatives to create a "hostile environment" for people not authorised to be in the country.

Under the proposed measures, British landlords could be jailed for up to five years if they rent property to people they know or have reasonable grounds to suspect of being illegal immigrants. Other measures include potential six-month jail terms for people who work illegally, allowing police to seize their wages as "proceeds of crime" and making it a legal requirement for certain public sector workers to speak fluent English.