On what grounds should someone who has lived and worked in this country for years be suspected of being an illegal immigrant in the first place? Would being black be sufficient to justify asking for documents? There has to be some additional indication.

Keith, not even Theresa May is now saying the things you are saying. It is recognised now that inability to produce documents is not in itself proof of illegal status.

Never mind. Be glad you aren’t Home Secretary faced with trying to sort this out, and live with the flack when the promises about undoing that harm that has been done turn out to be as hollow as the promises made to Grenfell survivors.