Civil servants ‘refuse to help investigate illegal immigrants’

‘No right to be in this country’

CIVIL servants are refusing to help the Home Office investigate immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally, a report reveals.

Some Whitehall ministries outright ‘refused requests’ for information while others asked for a fee, according to the study by immigration watchdog David Bolt.

The Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration exposed the farce in a review of the Home Office’s processes for reviewing and revoking a person’s immigration, refugee or citizenship status.

Gaining indefinite leave to remain, asylum or British nationality gives a person the right to live in the country lawfully, but it can be withdrawn in several circumstances, including if they have obtained it fraudulently, been convicted of a serious crime or pose a threat to national security. Checks are mainly carried out by the Home Office’s Status Review Unit (SRU).

At the end of March last year, it was dealing with 2,906 cases – an increase of 202 in six months. Of these, 864 were more than two years old and a further 875 had been in the intray for more than a year.

Seven cases had taken at least 1,000 days to resolve, and the longest took 2,836 days – nearly eight years.

Mr Bolt found the Home Office’s efforts to investigate suspected illegal immigrants was being thwarted by bureaucrats in other departments.

He said: ‘Status review cases are often complex and require investigation into an individual’s immigration history, which typically stretches back years, sometimes decades.

‘To carry out these investigations, SRU case workers need to request records and assistance from other Home Office units and, in some cases, other government departments.

‘Staff told inspectors it was often difficult to obtain data from other government departments and some refused requests for help.

‘ They also reported that requests for copies of records held by the General Register Office [ part of the Home Office] attracted a fee.’ It is understood the most obstructive departments were the Department for Work and pensions and HM Revenue and Customs – which hold information on employment and tax records – and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of the Migration Watch think-tank, said: ‘It is appalling that some government departments should refuse to co-operate with the Home Office in tackling those who are suspected of having no right to be in this country.’

The Home Office denied that other ministries had been obstructive but it did not question Mr Bolt’s conclusions when the report was sent to Home Secretary Amber Rudd for factchecking before publication.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The public can be assured this Government will do what it takes to keep … our country safe. That is why the Home Secretary may deprive a person of their British citizenship when we are satisfied it is conducive to the public good.

‘Although there may be some instances, particularly relating to inquiries made overseas, where other government departments are not able to obtain the information that has been requested, it is not the case that a request for assistance is ever refused.’