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Border Agency under fire as hundreds of immigration errors highlighted
9 Feb 2010Britain's immigration system is not operating effectively and faces a damaging loss of public support, a report warned today.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, detailed a catalogue of basic administrative errors in hundreds of cases handled by the UK Border Agency.
As a result of complaints to her office, individual migrants were handed payouts of hundreds of pounds as a result of bureaucratic failures.
In one case, a man was paid more than £1,500 in compensation after a string of blunders by officials that saw his papers faxed to the wrong Embassy, letters telling him he could stay in the UK not sent and his complaints ignored.
Attempts to fix lengthy backlogs in the asylum system and deal with the scandal over foreign national prisoners simply resulted in new blockages elsewhere in the immigration system, she found.
As resources were diverted in the face of public outrage, the agency allowed a new backlog to build up of 77,000 applications for residence from European nationals.
In less than three years, the Ombudsman received more than 1,300 complaints from MPs. Of those investigated last year, 97% were upheld.
Ms Abraham said: "If the Agency were operating effectively, any application... would be determined within a reasonable period.
"The Agency's failure to resolve applications within reasonable timescales can have serious implications for the individuals concerned, and for society in general.
"There is also a risk for the Agency of a loss of faith in their system by applicants, by other related organisations, and by the public at large."
She praised the "significant progress" made in reducing the asylum backlog.
But she said long delays meant asylum seekers would be difficult to remove even if their cases are rejected.
Lin Homer, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, said: "We take the Ombudsman's recommendations seriously and welcome the assessment that our complaints systems are improving.
"The UK Border Agency is continuing to make progress in dealing with the legacy backlog of older asylum cases and has already concluded more than 235,000 cases. I am confident we are on course to conclude these cases by the summer of 2011."
Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "This welcome report serves as a solemn reminder about how important it is that people's cases are dealt with quickly and fairly.
"It is in nobody's interests that those who are entitled to asylum in the UK are left waiting for years, unable to work and forced to rely on state support, or worse still, destitute.
"While there have been improvements in recent years and significant inroads have been made in processing asylum claims made before 2007, it is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure people's cases are treated fairly.
"The Ombudsman rightly sends out a warning signal about the lack of preparation for when the first group of refugees' five year limited leave ends this summer.
"We are concerned that there are not adequate plans in place to deal with reviewing each of these cases, and UKBA clearly have their hands full clearing the pre-existing backlog.
"Revisiting refugees' cases would be a serious waste of resources and will cause unnecessary distress and uncertainty for those trying to get on with rebuilding their lives and contributing to the UK.
"We urge the Government to revert back to allowing refugees - people who the Government agrees have been persecuted in their home country and cannot return - leave to stay indefinitely from the day they win their case."
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: "The management of our immigration system under this Government has been shambolic.
"Far too many people have been able to abuse the system, and get away with it.
Reader views (21)
ime afraid to say that immigration has let me down totally in my situation
my girl friend is from kenya
i am established in jersey channel islands
my girl friend has been to jersey for six months visit
when we re applied for her to come back for another six months she has been refused
apparently she now does not meet the requirements
we are appart from each other ,we adore each other and immigration are really hurting us
the way i feel about immigration at the moment
well ime totally disgusted in the system
the help you get at the moment is zero
it has forced me to go to kenya to get married just to have my loved one next to me
its cruel for the innocent ones in this world
- patrick nicolas, channel islands jersey +447797818670, 18/08/2010 00:09
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ime afraid to say that immigration has let me down totally in my situation
my girl friend is from kenya
i am established in jersey channel islands
my girl friend has been to jersey for six months visit
when we re applied for her to come back for another six months she has been refused
apparently she now does not meet the requirements
we are appart from each other ,we adore each other and immigration are really hurting us
the way i feel about immigration at the moment
well ime totally disgusted in the system
the help you get at the moment is zero
it has forced me to go to kenya to get married just to have my loved one next to me
its cruel for the innocent ones in this world
- patrick nicolas, channel islands jersey +447797818670, 18/08/2010 00:02
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ime afraid to say that immigration has let me down totally in my situation
my girl friend is from kenya
i am established in jersey channel islands
my girl friend has been to jersey for six months visit
when we re applied for her to come back for another six months she has been refused
apparently she now does not meet the requirements
we are appart from each other ,we adore each other and immigration are really hurting us
the way i feel about immigration at the moment
well ime totally disgusted in the system
the help you get at the moment is zero
it has forced me to go to kenya to get married just to have my loved one next to me
its cruel for the innocent ones in this world
- patrick nicolas, channel islands jersey +447797818670, 18/08/2010 00:00
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Until we come out of the EU there isn't a thing we can do about it, and it's no good some of the bloggers here moaning about the Border staff, its not their fault, its the government's. We are a tiny island compared to the rest of Europe but it seems we are taking the lions share of the rest of the world's population! It just can't go on. No-one, but no-one should be let in and let's sort out the ones we've already got. Any criminal record or problems throw them out.
- Sue, Kent, 10/02/2010 08:19
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"faces a damaging loss of public support" --- did Britain's immigration policy ever HAVE any public support? We're not consulted, not heeded, not needed apparently, so long as our drivelling weak-kneed hypocritical, eye-on-Brussels for themselves, leaders allow our once great country to be used as the world's dumping ground.
- Judith C, London, England, 09/02/2010 19:37
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"Britain's immigration system is not operating effectively" Yes anyone can clearly see that but the government is covering up the numbers with lies. you only have to look around London to see the repurcussions of this flawed agency and policies.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 09/02/2010 19:03
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We have Border Controls? Who knew?
- Bob, Cheam, 09/02/2010 15:07
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A simple start would be to remove the rule stating that it is down to the UK goverment to prove where the illegals are from. The law should require the immigrant to declare his country of origin, if he has no paper work he should be imprisoned until as such time he declares his nationality. We live in very dangerous times due to terrorism.
The UK should have a simple quota system just like Australia where we can adjust numbers and job types to fit shortages. Again like Australia NO benefits until you pay in to the system, I'd include, NHS, Housing, Schooling, no citizenship or passport until you have proved after 10 years you have on convictions. This is the way to encourage skilled migrants not economic migrants who only come to sponge of our system.
- Lance Johnson, Canterbury, Kent, 09/02/2010 14:27
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Eastern European gangsters running organised crime all over the country, Jamaican yardies involved in drug smuggling, hundreds of potential terrorists roaming our streets on the back of student visas, wow, what a record.
And thats just the ones involved in serious crime.
Thousand upon thousand of jobless immigrants bleeding us dry.
We are already morally bankrupt, soon we will be properly bankrupt.
Thank you Mr Brown, you've done a great job!Now will you just go!!
- George, Cambridge, 09/02/2010 14:24
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Another one of NuLabours ideas - drawn up on the back of a fag packet. Border controls are a joke. We may as well save all the time and effort and just let everyone in. They all seem to get in one way or another any way. In a decades time this country will be unrecognisable. Major cities like Birmingham already have a 50% immigrant population. In 10 years time it will be 70% or plus. As Jim says, you either have to put a total block on anymore immigrants coming into this country. If you don`t then you will pay the price of the British way of life and its culture being changed for evermore. It will be very similar circumstances of what led up to the Indian Mutiny; but with roles reversed.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 09/02/2010 13:37
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I couldn't agree with Jim from Hounslow enough. Totally hit the nail on the head. This country is very overcrowded and will get worse. Why do we let more people into this country when we have high unemployment rate amongst our youth. Use them, make use of there talents, spend more on training for them. What use is more foreign workers, when we have such untapped resources here, under our noses.
- Adam, LONDON, 09/02/2010 13:30
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Why is it that everybody on this comments page agrees, -yet the Government has just turned a deaf ear?
Are they just too stupid to see what's happening outside their own 'expenses supported' ivory towers?
The influx of foreign cultures and religions will ruin this country and destroy our heritage.
And it has already started!
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 09/02/2010 11:36
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How long before the money runs out and our state pension
grinds to a holt
- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh UK, 09/02/2010 11:31
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A border agency, gee i wish we had one too.
- Egon, Stockholm,Sweden, 09/02/2010 10:55
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UK Border Patrol is a play on words,so many people just arrive here for a holiday and stay on,apply for a permit for education purposes,and various other guises.
Since Question Time I think the main political parties are adapting BNP policies to suit themselves and keep us all quiet.
- Davey_Bouy, Chertsey, 09/02/2010 10:28
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The border agency should be renamed turn a blind eye agency,a big percentage of their staff are sympathetic to illegal immigrants and help them in,likewise foreign lorry drivers.What chance has Britain got?.
- Jacob, Communist Canterbury Abandoned Garden of England, 09/02/2010 10:22
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I was watching the UK Border Patrol programme on TV the other night. What an eye-opener that is! They arrest illegal immigrants and because they have no papers - surprise surprise - they have to let them go and report weekly! You've guessed it the majority abscond!
One illegal in Calais was asked why he wanted to come to England and not stay in France. His answer was that "France does not want us". Says it all. Sorry folks but we don't want them either.
- Jan, Romford, 09/02/2010 10:02
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What Borders Agency !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u wouldn't of thought we had such an agency with the amount of immigrants already here.......
- Jonny, London, 09/02/2010 09:58
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"Britain's immigration system is not operating effectively and faces a damaging loss of public support..."
What do you mean? As far as I know it lost support years ago!
Also, we don't NEED an "immigration system" at all: the UK is already overpopulated. Pull the drawbridge up!
- Croyboy, Croydon, 09/02/2010 09:34
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There is a simple answer, NOBODY is allowed in.
We have no more room for migrants, we don't any more cultural disruption and we don’t want relatives of those already here clogging up the benefits and health schemes with their sponging off our hard earned tax's.
Send them on to another EU state; let’s say Poland for a start, 3 times the size of the England with half the population.
Put up a block on all EU nationals unless they can demonstrate that there is an employer willing to vouch for them and that employer pays a bond fee into the social security system repaid on the permanent exit from the country by the person sponsored.
Lastly anybody allowed to stay here has no rights, except that to go to prison and then to be deported to France (the most common point of entry), unless they earn them the over a 15 year period and as part of those rights they must be able to read and speak English fluently.
Its best to send out the message that we do not want migrants and things will become a lot tougher from now on.
But we all know that the Middle class do-gooders who build their careers and names on the pretence of supporting migrants, but never want to actually mix with them socially, will be the problem with anything being done about the issue. One only has to look at recent court cases Moslem, and a vicious thug, you are religious so we will let you off, try that defence as a British Christian !
- Jim, Hounslow, 09/02/2010 09:23
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"Britain's immigration system is not operating effectively .."
When has it ever?
"As a result of complaints to her office, individual migrants were handed payouts of hundreds of pounds as a result of bureaucratic failures."
Not even with their foot in the country, we are handing out money hand over fist to these people. Welcome to Labours Utopia.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/02/2010 09:13
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