Border control farce

LAST week Home Secretary Amber Rudd released five reports compiled by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Bolt. It was revealed that 600,000 foreign visitors had been lost in the system and it was not known whether they had returned home or were in the UK illegally.

As a retired Met Police Border Control officer, I believe this state of affairs can be traced back to the ‘sacking’ of IT contractors Raytheon by then Home Secretary Theresa May in 2010.

This cost taxpayers £150 million in a legal settlement and since then border control systems have been shambolic. The Home Office is launching yet another system, but UK Border Force officers are not holding their breath.

Mr Bolt’s other reports covered border controls at Stansted Airport, the treatment of child refugees and the initiative that those in the UK illegally would be uncovered by landlords checking their status. The only report that passed muster was on human trafficking.

The announcement that 1,000 additional UK Border Force officers would be recruited brought wry smiles from those in the job.

Government cuts have meant that many experienced officers have left the service and a high number of new recruits leave within months.

The prospect of post-Brexit chaos at our borders looms large.

CHRIS HOBBS, London W7.