The prime minister has urged the public to report people suspected of being illegal immigrants as part of a wide ranging speech in London on migration to Britain and its impact on the struggling economy.
David Cameron claimed that initiatives introduced to return illegal immigrants to their home countries were working, but said the government needed help from the public.
"I want everyone in the country to help, including by reporting suspected illegal immigrants to our Border Agency through the Crimestoppers phone line or through the Border Agency website," he said. "Together we will reclaim our borders and send illegal immigrants home."
Blaming the last government's points-based system for failing to stem recent rises in net migration, Cameron said the coalition's changes to the system had led to fewer unskilled people entering the UK.
However the PM acknowledged that some migrants worked harder than people born in Britain, and suggested this was why many new jobs created over the past decade had gone to foreigners.
He said: "You can understand it from the employer’s point of view. Confronted by a failing welfare system, shortcomings in our education system and an open door immigration system, they can choose between a disillusioned and demotivated person on benefits here in the UK … or an Eastern European with the get up and go to come across a continent to find work."
Cameron said the government would introduce a new approach to immigration which would reduce "box-ticking" in the system. He said the government had listened to big business, and would make it easier for international companies to deploy their staff in the UK from overseas.
In a speech designed to reassure voters that the Conservative party is still committed to combatting immigration, he also said the Home Office would consult on making forced marriage illegal across the UK.
The prime minister admitted that the government were "powerless" to address EU immigration. However he added that "the large net migration has predominately been caused by immigration from outside the EU, not from within it," saying he believed inward migration from the EU was being balanced by people leaving Britain to live in other European countries.
The plans have already been condemned as "misconceived" by pressure group Justice with senior legal officer Jodie Blackstock, saying:
"The Prime Minister’s announced changes are misconceived; on the complex and sensitive issue of forced marriages much more work needs to be done to ensure professionals are seeking protection orders and that these are working in practice before suggesting criminalising breach will have any positive impact.
"No further change to the law on immigration removal is necessary and any change that dilutes or purports to limit Article 8 ECHR rights would simply be unlawful. "