CHEATING MIGRANTS FINGERED; EXCLUSIVE Crackdown on immigrants.

Byline: By JAMES LYONS Political Correspondent

EVERY visitor to the UK using a visa will be fingerprinted from today, reveals Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

As a YouGov poll yesterday showed three quarters of voters want a tougher immigration system, Smith unveiled a 10-point action plan for a crackdown.

Writing in the Mirror, she said: "I have listened to concerns about the need for tough, clear rules on immigration - and 2008 is the year we deliver just that."

In trials, fingerprinting has already been carried out on 1.1 million people in 146 offices globally - at a cost of pounds 37million. It has caught 500 with fake IDs.

And the system which electronically logs everyone entering or leaving this country starts soon. Trials have already stopped 1,500 criminals getting in.

A border patrol force, points system for overseas workers, ID cards for foreigners and automatic deportation of foreign prisoners are all set to come in this year. Immigration minister Liam Byrne will outline the full 10-point strategy today.

pounds 6BILLION is added to the economy by immigrants, says the Government. There are 1.1million in the country.

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