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Labour let 40,000 migrants stay ‘to clear backlog target’
Ross Lydall9 Oct 2009
The Home Office was today accused of “bending the rules” on asylum so it can meet a promise to clear a backlog of 450,000 cases by 2011.
A leaked document revealed that migrants from countries with poor human rights records can be granted leave to remain in the UK after being here for a minimum of six years, down from the previous 10 to 12 years.
This has meant 40,000 cases are now exempt from the risk of deportation, though the Home Office insists the number of people benefiting from the “change in guidance” is far smaller.
However Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, said: “If we bend the rules to give people the right to stay, it gives the wrong messages around the world about our immigration system.
“This looks like double standards from ministers, talking tough in public while changing the system behind the scenes for political convenience.”
The scale of the backlog resulted in then Home Secretary John Reid making a promise in 2006 to clear it “within five years”.
The leaked memo obtained by the Telegraph show the 40,000 exempted cases relate to countries such as Zimbabwe, Somalia, Iran, Algeria and China. But because the cases date from before 2003, many migrants will already have left the UK or have gained residency rights in the UK as a result of EU enlargement. The Government says that of 600 cases examined under the new rules, only five people have gained the right to remain.
Immigration Minister Phil Woolas insisted there was “no amnesty” for illegal immigrants. He said: “Our guidelines were updated to provide case workers with a simple framework and to avoid drawn-out court battles.”
Reader views (22)
I see do gooder Austen London, is on his soapbox wringing his hands, with a bleeding heart.
Austen mate if you really believe all these people are so honest that want to come here, you must live in La la Land in a marzipan cottage, with a a clear blue sky above it.
Most of them are undesirable, if they were so honest, they would claim assylum in the first country they got to, not flout international law.
Scum most of them, the dregs of humanity.
- P Staker, Londonistan., 12/10/2009 12:59
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PS - it's the front page story of my local newspaper today (and I live in a totally different part of France): despite breaking up 'the Jungle' loads of would-be immigrants have arrived back in Calais, trying to get to what is described as 'L'Eldorado Britannique'. Anyone who has been to Calais will of course know that you have to go through British Customs, which is based on the French side, before you get anywhere near a boat or train.
- Roz, France, 12/10/2009 12:16
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The figure of 40,000 applies to heads of families and masks the rue number once dependants are added.
The Johnson announcement also conveniently omits the fact that NuLiebour are planning on doing this before the next general election in which all of these people will have the vote.
It is known as gerrymandering.
"Immigration Minister Phil Woolas insisted there was “no amnesty” for illegal immigrants."
Woolas is a liar.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 12/10/2009 12:14
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Cobblers, Dom: assylum seekers are meant to claim assylum in the first safe country they arrive in - if you bother to look at a map you'll notice that pretty much only Algerians and Tunisians can claim that in regard to France, and only people arriving by plane in Britain. You don't get many Algerians and Tunisians heading for the UK because they are absorbed by France. The French are fairly sick of having bogus assylum seekers tramping across it via umpteen other safe countries in order to get to Britain. Why would they want to go to Britain and not claim assylum in France? Because in France they won't get free health care at the point of use (it doesn't exist even for the French), housing benefit, social security and then - BONANZA! - citizenship because the administration is so sloppy it proposes an 'amnesty' in order to clear up the backlog. What France does is stick them on a bus or a plane back to the first safe country they arrived in, for that country to deal with the matter - as is the prescribed procedure under international law.
Honestly: if you reward people for breaking the rules - guess what? More people will break them!
- Roz, France, 12/10/2009 11:40
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When will some of the gutless lawyers in this country appeal against this in the form a judicial review??? They know how the system works, so why hasn't EVEN ONE lawyer done this???
- Ralph, London, 09/10/2009 17:19
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Austen, London, Not being racist, just stating the truth. The French wont deal with immigrants, they just send them down the tunnel to the UK. What is racist with my comment? The bit about the frogs legs was a little humour, but they do eat them, so again, I am not being racist.
We do need to shut the doors in this country & say "sorry we are full, come back when there is room"
- Dom, London, 09/10/2009 16:38
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Austen, London - word to the wise, "French" isn't a race. It is a political, cultural, national entity. Using it here both shows your ignorance, and devalues the charge when it IS deserved.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/10/2009 16:02
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It's pretty obvious the 3 main parties have absolutly no intention of tackling this issue at all (probably something to do with orders coming from their masters in the EU),the only real hope i can see of of getting it sorted is to vote for one of the parties who actually will do something before it's too late.
- Stephen, London, 09/10/2009 15:07
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Is this an election plot or what! It is time that people who work for the Border Agency got off their backsides and did some work to send all these illegal immigrants back home, or you have to do is find where they are working, restaurants, security firms, food factories. Round them all up and put them on planes and out of the country. 40,000 told to stay then this will double or treble when their families come here living off benefits at my expense and laughing at the hard working folk of this country. We have had enough.
- Frances, Leics, 09/10/2009 14:53
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Jilly, you obviously don't read the UK news very much - perhaps acknowledge that Britain extends further than the borders of England.
In the last few years, thousands of immigrants have been housed in Scotland. My home city of Glasgow is on the path to becoming overrun with them. Edinburgh and Dundee are the same. They're standing on the streets begging, playing their accordians, and some have been implicated in everything from petty crime and drugs to murder. Did you not read about the Lithuanian woman who was murdered in Scotland by another Lithuanian, and her body parts dumped on a beach? Or the woman raped and murdered by a foreign national in Queens Park, Glasgow? Or the attempted bombing of Glasgow Airport? Or does your Britain not exist beyond the M25, Jilly?
- Jock, London, 09/10/2009 14:28
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Was't Woolas the man who wouldn't help the Gurkas. Where do the Labour party get these incompetents?
- Tojo, Hythe, Kent, 09/10/2009 14:15
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We have the worlds useless politicians but the most expensive !
- Grim Reaper, Hell, 09/10/2009 13:46
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Any proof that these people are "rapists murderers, terrorists, criminals and murderers" and that they "come on in and have loads of money"? No, thought not.
As for Dom's remarks about "the French", that is racism, pure and (very) simple.
- Austen, London, 09/10/2009 13:38
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Dom,London.
Quite right,we are the waste bin of Europe.Filling up with filth even as I type.
- Steve, London, 09/10/2009 13:34
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Another good day for Labour to bury more bad news!
- Jonathan, London, 09/10/2009 13:11
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Funny how over the past few weeks of party conferences none of the parties has tackled the immigration issue! Health services, education and infastructure are all under strain. Whilst many used to be hard working and honest individuals there seem to be an ever inreasing criminal and work shy element!
- A Nobel Poet, London, 09/10/2009 12:51
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What's wrong with the French. Too busy cutting legs of frogs to sort out their immigration issues. The lazy gits always pack 'em off to the UK. What are we, they waste bin of Europe.
- Dom, London, 09/10/2009 12:12
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That's very hospitable of them.
Oh yes,I forgot,they don't have to live with them or pay for them.
WE DO!
- Steve, London, 09/10/2009 11:25
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Chris Grayling is right. This is sending out quite the wrong message. Surely European law states that immigration and asylum applications should be processed at the EU country of entry (the French, please note). If this is so, then that´s where these immigrants and asylum seekers should be sent to. It´s Europe´s backlog, not the UK´s.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 09/10/2009 11:01
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NO - they are not allowed to take such a decision before an election, this is an election issue.
These people have no control about the terrorists, criminals and murderers that are being inflicted upon the English society (I say English because somehow they never end up 'en masse' in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland) We have already had the Sangatte amnesty and the EU are demanding that we take tens of thousands more of these people. All of our infrastructure is overloaded, hospitals schools power systems etc, there is no work available, social security is near bankrupt and these people will make no financial contribution, If they do then they have taken a job from an English citizen.
Keep the promise that you made and ship these people out on a one way ticket to France right now and you might just make yourselves electable in about twelve years time, people have very long memories where there is a disruption to the indigenous social cohesion.
- Jilly, City, 09/10/2009 10:29
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This is the price of a placing ex-postmen and shop stewards in government positions...
Great Britain, where the cost of living is through the roof and the chance of living is going down...!
- Scrappy-Doo, London, 09/10/2009 10:27
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No checks, no screening, nothing. Rapists murderers, terrorists, come on in and have loads of money.
Lots of love,
Labour.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/10/2009 10:00
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