Because of the Liberal Democrat’s concern over the national rollout of Teresa May’s scheme calling for all landlords to check the immigration status of lodgers and tenants timescales have now been reviewed. It now means that a pilot scheme will be introduced in the autumn of next year instead of a National rollout as originally planned
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The Lib Dems were extremely concerned that the rollout would cause migrants to resort to using the increasing number of “black marketeer” landlords and of course the real danger of making large numbers of people homeless. 

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Nick Clegg’s spokesman said that Teresa May had been helped to make a decision to restrict the proposal for the period before the next general election. A trial scheme in only one area will now take place and is mentioned in the immigration bill that the government introduced in the Commons.

"The Conservatives want to roll this out nationally but because of our concerns we will not agree to that. This will be piloted in a single area,"

 

It is now accepted by The Home Office that the requirements for landlords to make immigration checks will now be introduced on a phased basis across England and Wales. It would not back down from their claim that this is not a trial but the start of phased scheme: "This is not a pilot, as the bill published today makes clear.

"We plan to introduce the measure on a phased basis starting from next autumn. This is a sensible approach to ensure that we have the correct systems and infrastructure in place before rolling this out nationally."

The immigration checks by landlords is central to May’s immigration bill, however it is looking more and more unlikely that the first phase starting next year will be completed before the 2015 election. The government sees the bill as a means ‘to create a hostile environment for illegal immigrants’

This is the second time that the Lib Dems have influenced and caused change to proposals within the bill from the Conservatives as they had to drop the requirement for head teachers to test the immigration status of any new pupils.

P.I.M.S.co.uk is at present reviewing the proposed Bill and will comment shortly.