Immigration policy: basis for building consensus

Second Report of Session 2017–19: Report, together with formal minutes relating to the  report. Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 10 January 2018

Summary
Immigration is a crucial policy area for the UK Government. It has implications for the economy, public services and community cohesion, and has always been part of
our history as generations of immigration have brought benefits to our economy and
culture. Continue reading “Immigration policy: basis for building consensus”

Further concerns about the Home Office system

Guardian: 25.12.2017 – Asylum offices ‘in a constant state of crisis’, say whistleblowers

Two whistleblowers claim Home Office departments delay asylum applications for profit

Staff in the Home Office’s asylum directorate are undertrained, overworked and operating in a “constant state of crisis”, two whistleblowers have claimed, as applicants endure long waits to have their case dealt with due to internal pressures.

The Home Office staff have also told the Guardian that asylum case workers are making poor decisions about applications because they are under pressure to focus on more profitable visa applications. Despite a “shocking increase in complaints (from applicants) and MP enquiries questioning delays”, they say caseworkers have been told to brush off all enquires and “just give standard lines” of response when called to account….

G4S and other housing providers in the headlines again

The Home Office says that asylum seekers deserve ‘safe, habitable’ homes. What too many of them get is filth and squalor.

The cramped upstairs box room was meant to be used by one of Duminda’s children, but it is not in a fit state. An old mattress is propped up against the wall, and behind it is an expanse of black-green mould. In the downstairs bathroom, there is similarly widespread damp, and a smell that suggests the problem is serious. “We worry about the kids’ health,” Duminda tells me. …

Further concern about the system

Paulette Wilson, 61, says ‘it would be nice to get an apology’ after being detained at Yarl’s Wood immigration centre.

A grandmother who was told she was an illegal immigrant, detained in an immigration removal centre and threatened with deportation despite having lived in Britain for 50 years has finally received official leave to remain in the UK. …