UK NEWS

300,000 ARE WRONGLY LET INTO BRITAIN EACH YEAR

Dominic Grieve

Wednesday November 19,2008

By Macer Hall

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(19)

Up to 300,000 visas allowing foreigners the right to enter Britain are wrongly handed out every year, MPs were told yesterday.

The shock admission – from a senior immigration official – means that millions of illegal immigrants may have been let into the country.

Home Office staff are under pressure to grant rather than reject visas to meet Labour’s productivity targets.

The figure renewed anger over Labour’s soft-touch border controls last night.

Senior Tories said the admissions “made a mockery” of the Government’s claims to be in control of immigration.

Linda Costelloe-Baker, an independent watchdog of the visa system, laid bare the failings during a hearing of the Commons Home Affairs Committee yesterday.

She said around 15 per cent of short-term visa approvals were marred by errors. Nearly two million visas are approved each year, giving foreign nationals the right to come to the UK for six months, she said.

his makes a mockery of Labour’s claims to have a grip on our immigration system. It is obvious that its operation is neither firm, nor fair

Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve

Embassies and consulates examine 2.4million applications each year from tourists, businessmen and people visiting relatives to check if they intend to leave after their visa expires.

They also check they have enough money to live in the country and are not looking for a job, she said. Around 80 per cent are approved.

Ms Costelloe-Baker said officials considering visa applications found it much easier to approve visas than reject them.

Issuing was a “much faster” process than refusal. She added: “I don’t think there has been adequate scrutiny of decisions to issue. I think there is pressure to issue visas because it helps people hit productivity targets.”

Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve said: “This makes a mockery of Labour’s claims to have a grip on our immigration system. It is obvious that its operation is neither firm, nor fair.

“This error rate not only increases the scope for increased illegal immigration, but is obviously a security threat. The public will be dismayed that Labour targets are making our border controls more vulnerable.”

Tory MP David Davies asked if it was reasonable to assume that 15 per cent of approval notices were “incorrectly approved”.

“I think that’s a reasonable supposition,” Ms Costelloe-Baker told the hearing.

Mark Sedwill, the international director of the UK Border Agency, said: “Our decisions are fair and objective, and last year the Independent Monitor determined they were right and reasonable in 99 per cent of cases.

“It is untrue to claim our staff give out visas when people do not meet the criteria.

“In fact every application is scrutinised, fingerprints are taken, and the individuals checked against a range of watch-lists. Visas provide the first line of defence against those who seek to abuse the system. Travellers are subject to further tough checks at the border.

“Already we’ve fingerprinted more than three million people and identified 4,600 cases of identity fraud. So far this year we’ve refused visas to nearly 20 per cent of applicants.”

RE: BLACKADDER

20.11.08, 11:18am

I agree exactly with your comments. We need a modern day Enoch Powell but there isn't any MPs with the guts to stand up against the PC and human rights brigades. Furthermore Liebour uses these immigrants and ethnics as a sure way for them to get votes

It clearly is a 2 finger salute the indigenous BRITISH tax payer.

My wife and I are going to breed like rabbits and head of looking for a million pound mansion to live in all paid for by the council.......oh yeah just one problem I would not qualify as I AM WHITE AND BRITISH and put in to this country that others haven't

• Posted by: thediscriminatedone • Report Comment

AND THE REST....GOVERNMENTS ARE VERY GOOD AT TELLING LIES...!

19.11.08, 10:27pm

I'm sure there are more than this number frequenting our shores under these circumstances!

• Posted by: RealIstic08 • Report Comment

300,000 ARE WRONGLY LET INTO BRITAIN EACH YEAR.

19.11.08, 8:02pm

Makes one want to spit!
'Shock admission?' (From a senior immigration official); of course it would be a 'Shock admission' . But a shock for whom? Certainly not for for those of us who haven't had our heads buried in the sand whilst our resources have been plundered over recent years by hordes of immigrants coming to our shores hell bent on screwing as much as they can for themselves and their kin - demanding housing, social benefits, health care, and the rest, and giving sweet F.A. in return - and getting preferential treatment over our own indiginous population! But the thing that really makes me want to puke, and this is from the mouths of babes who have no axe to grind, is the way that the education system has slowed down to allow the slowest learners to catch up. And who are the slowest learners? Those who are unable to speak English of course! Racist? I never was until this Government blatantly started to give preferential treatment to those who do not deserve it.

• Posted by: Lordel • Report Comment

GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME!!!!!!

19.11.08, 5:47pm

The biggest scandal is the fact that this country has to pay to send Afghani illegals in France back to their own Country. The haven't set foot in this country, but, because the UK was their 'destination' we are deemed responsible. I sometimes feel like "Alice through the Looking Glass" . Where is this lunacy going to end?

• Posted by: wiggins • Report Comment