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| Border Agency teams up with police in drive to target foreign criminals | Border Agency teams up with police in drive to target foreign criminals |
| (8 days later) | |
| Scotland Yard has drafted in immigration officials to each of London's 72 custody suites in a drive to target foreigners arrested in the capital. | Scotland Yard has drafted in immigration officials to each of London's 72 custody suites in a drive to target foreigners arrested in the capital. |
| Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe was believed to be the driving force behind Operation Terminus; a pan-London project under which teams of trained police and UK Border Agency officials have been quietly deployed to every custody suite in London. | Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe was believed to be the driving force behind Operation Terminus; a pan-London project under which teams of trained police and UK Border Agency officials have been quietly deployed to every custody suite in London. |
| The force said it was determined to deal more effectively with the 70,000 foreign nationals arrested each year. They comprise, it said, a third of those arrested. | The force said it was determined to deal more effectively with the 70,000 foreign nationals arrested each year. They comprise, it said, a third of those arrested. |
| A briefing note, circulated on Friday and seen by the Guardian, specifically highlighted the heightened powers of the Border Force to deal with criminals who had committed offences here, were wanted in other countries or had failed "to comply with the 'being of good behaviour' conditions of their UK residency, by causing harm and risk to others". | A briefing note, circulated on Friday and seen by the Guardian, specifically highlighted the heightened powers of the Border Force to deal with criminals who had committed offences here, were wanted in other countries or had failed "to comply with the 'being of good behaviour' conditions of their UK residency, by causing harm and risk to others". |
| "This operation will not change the MPS [Metropolitan police service] relationship with the general public," it said. "The MPS remains committed to supporting and engaging all London's communities and will continue to uphold the human rights of everyone it comes into contact with, particularly victims and witnesses of crime, irrespective of their immigration status." | "This operation will not change the MPS [Metropolitan police service] relationship with the general public," it said. "The MPS remains committed to supporting and engaging all London's communities and will continue to uphold the human rights of everyone it comes into contact with, particularly victims and witnesses of crime, irrespective of their immigration status." |
| But the pan-London project, which will last six months and follows a well-regarded pilot, has already encountered heavy criticism from refugee and migrant representatives, who fear the Met will in effect behave as an arm of the Border Agency. Politicians also demanded more details about how the Met would keep itself distinct. | But the pan-London project, which will last six months and follows a well-regarded pilot, has already encountered heavy criticism from refugee and migrant representatives, who fear the Met will in effect behave as an arm of the Border Agency. Politicians also demanded more details about how the Met would keep itself distinct. |
| One group warned the London mayor, Boris Johnson, that as things stood, it may advise clients to avoid any dealings with the police. "It is already extremely difficult to get individuals to report crimes where they feel vulnerable to harsh treatment as the result of experiences from their country of origin," said Rita Chadha of the Refugee and Migrant Forum of east London. "I would draw your attention to specific incidences where vulnerable victims, especially those affected by domestic violence and other forms of violence may now be even more reluctant to report crime for fear of retribution, from a perpetrator who will be additionally aggrieved for having been bought into contact with the UKBA [UK Border Agency]." | One group warned the London mayor, Boris Johnson, that as things stood, it may advise clients to avoid any dealings with the police. "It is already extremely difficult to get individuals to report crimes where they feel vulnerable to harsh treatment as the result of experiences from their country of origin," said Rita Chadha of the Refugee and Migrant Forum of east London. "I would draw your attention to specific incidences where vulnerable victims, especially those affected by domestic violence and other forms of violence may now be even more reluctant to report crime for fear of retribution, from a perpetrator who will be additionally aggrieved for having been bought into contact with the UKBA [UK Border Agency]." |
| A Met spokeswoman sought to ease concerns: "The MPS continues to target offenders who have been arrested for criminal offences in the UK and may also be subject to being wanted for offences overseas or here illegally, working with the UK Border Agency," she said. "This is not about us targeting specific communities but about us targeting criminality. | A Met spokeswoman sought to ease concerns: "The MPS continues to target offenders who have been arrested for criminal offences in the UK and may also be subject to being wanted for offences overseas or here illegally, working with the UK Border Agency," she said. "This is not about us targeting specific communities but about us targeting criminality. |
| "This is an issue that as we understand it currently, will force us as an advice agency to sometimes advise clients not to report to the police incidences." | "This is an issue that as we understand it currently, will force us as an advice agency to sometimes advise clients not to report to the police incidences." |
| Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group on the London assembly, said it would seek more detail from the mayor and the commissioner. "Is this about dealing with serious criminal behaviour or just about supporting the UK Border Agency in its work, at a time when the Met itself is stretched? We cannot get to a situation where the police are seen as part of the immigration service and people don't feel able to deal with them in confidence." | Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group on the London assembly, said it would seek more detail from the mayor and the commissioner. "Is this about dealing with serious criminal behaviour or just about supporting the UK Border Agency in its work, at a time when the Met itself is stretched? We cannot get to a situation where the police are seen as part of the immigration service and people don't feel able to deal with them in confidence." |
| Claude Moraes, the London MEP and former director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: "This is a significant development. It is important that foreign criminals are dealt with effectively. But there may also be serious issues of due process thrown up by this." | Claude Moraes, the London MEP and former director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: "This is a significant development. It is important that foreign criminals are dealt with effectively. But there may also be serious issues of due process thrown up by this." |
| Jenny Jones, a Green party member of the London assembly, called for clear safeguards. "In the past, the Met's work with immigration officers has lead to poor detection, simply because the urgency to deport people, for example trafficked women, meant that the criminal bosses escaped detection. | Jenny Jones, a Green party member of the London assembly, called for clear safeguards. "In the past, the Met's work with immigration officers has lead to poor detection, simply because the urgency to deport people, for example trafficked women, meant that the criminal bosses escaped detection. |
| "This could make a valuable contribution to tackling organised, serious crime. However, I would have real concerns if we were putting resources into chasing petty thieves because they were 'foreign' when the cuts are threatening our ability to field sufficient officers to deal properly with homegrown cases of rape and other serious crimes." | "This could make a valuable contribution to tackling organised, serious crime. However, I would have real concerns if we were putting resources into chasing petty thieves because they were 'foreign' when the cuts are threatening our ability to field sufficient officers to deal properly with homegrown cases of rape and other serious crimes." |
| The Met briefing made clear its appreciation of the sensitivities. It said lay advisers and figures from "current and emerging communities" in London had already been consulted about the way the project would work. | The Met briefing made clear its appreciation of the sensitivities. It said lay advisers and figures from "current and emerging communities" in London had already been consulted about the way the project would work. |
| "It is stressed that Operation Terminus targets offenders and not communities. The start point is always the person has been arrested for a criminal offence and is in custody or has significant intelligence or convictions linking them to criminal offending (ie the MPS deals with criminals). This is not about the MPS becoming an immigration agency, it is about the service becoming better able to deal with criminal offenders who, as foreign nationals, we know less about." | "It is stressed that Operation Terminus targets offenders and not communities. The start point is always the person has been arrested for a criminal offence and is in custody or has significant intelligence or convictions linking them to criminal offending (ie the MPS deals with criminals). This is not about the MPS becoming an immigration agency, it is about the service becoming better able to deal with criminal offenders who, as foreign nationals, we know less about." |
| Senior officers and officials in the mayor's office are aware of concerns, widely expressed after last year's riots, that the Met has allowed its relationships with minority communities to wither. But there is also pressure from national government to get a grip on immigration and deport more foreign offenders. | Senior officers and officials in the mayor's office are aware of concerns, widely expressed after last year's riots, that the Met has allowed its relationships with minority communities to wither. But there is also pressure from national government to get a grip on immigration and deport more foreign offenders. |
| The situation is complicated where those offenders are EU nationals. Under a reciprocal arrangement, they can be sent to serve sentences in their home countries but as EU citizens, they can re-enter the UK thereafter. | The situation is complicated where those offenders are EU nationals. Under a reciprocal arrangement, they can be sent to serve sentences in their home countries but as EU citizens, they can re-enter the UK thereafter. |
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