Resign over migrant not known existed’
inherited a “failing policy” and made it worse.
An outcry over treatment of migrants from the Caribbean who arrived after the Second World War has put immigration policy and its administration in the spotlight.
A December 2015 report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration said targets were set for voluntary departures, which took place when an individual or family notified authorities of their intention to leave the UK.
Voluntary departures included people who had approached the Home Office for financial assistance with travel arrangements.
The assistance was available to anyone over 18 who was in the UK illegally, had been refused leave to remain in the UK or had applied for an extension of leave but wanted to withdraw the application and depart. The report said: “For 2014/15 (10 full months) the Home Office set a target of 7,200 voluntary departures, an average of 120 per week, with the weekly target rising to 160 by the end of March 2015.
“For 2015/16, the annual target was raised to 12,000. These targets were split between the 19 ICE teams across the UK.” The Home Office also had a process for returning families who had no legal right to remain in the UK, which had a “single numerical target”.
The report said the target was “not a useful performance measure” due to the varying nature of cases year to year.