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Immigration system in intensive care, warns Keith Vaz Immigration system in intensive care, warns Keith Vaz
(about 1 hour later)
The UK's immigration system is in "intensive care", a senior MP has said. The UK's immigration system is in "intensive care", the chair of a parliamentary committee has warned.
Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz criticised ministers over exit checks, missing migrants and the use of a single immigration target. Keith Vaz criticised ministers over exit checks, missing migrants and the use of a single immigration target.
A committee report on UK immigration directorates made a range of criticisms and raised "serious doubts" over plans to bring in exit checks - by next April - on all those leaving the UK. The Home Affairs Select Committee report on UK immigration directorates raised "serious doubts" over plans to bring in exit checks on all those leaving the UK by next April.
The immigration minister defended the government's record. Immigration Minister James Brokenshire defended the government's record.
'Twin perils''Twin perils'
On exit checks, Mr Vaz said MPs had been assured that, by April 2015, a new system of "departure lists" would be in place for all passengers leaving the UK - but the report says this "no longer looks likely". One of the key areas of concern was the government's plans to introduce exit checks at British ports.
Mr Vaz said MPs had been assured that, by April 2015, a new system of "departure lists" would be in place for all passengers leaving the UK - but the report says this "no longer looks likely".
Failure to meet the target on time would "give rise to the twin perils of increased security risks and illegal migration", Mr Vaz said.Failure to meet the target on time would "give rise to the twin perils of increased security risks and illegal migration", Mr Vaz said.
It follows more than a decade of problems and delays in the "e-borders" project, a scheme devised by the Labour government in 2003 to count everyone in and out of the UK by collecting advanced passenger information.It follows more than a decade of problems and delays in the "e-borders" project, a scheme devised by the Labour government in 2003 to count everyone in and out of the UK by collecting advanced passenger information.
"Successive governments have spent millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on the botched e-borders programme," Mr Vaz said. Mr Vaz said: "Successive governments have spent millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on the botched e-borders programme.
The committee also criticised the Home Office over the target to reduce net migration to fewer than 100,000 as "too blunt" and "unwieldy". "Everyone who enters and leaves Britain must be counted in and out."
"No government of whatever political formation can control the number of people who voluntarily wish to leave the country. The scheme was "terminated" in its current format earlier this year.
"This raises questions about future immigration policy. An arbitrary target set by ministers, however well-intentioned, only serves to reduce public confidence in the ability of any government to deliver a future pledge on immigration," the report says. Mr Vaz added: "Our immigration system has left A&E and has entered intensive care."
'Unwieldy'
In its report on the immigration directorates formed when the UK Border Agency was split into two parts, the committee criticised the Home Office over the target to reduce net migration to fewer than 100,000.
It said this was "too blunt" and "unwieldy".
The report said: "No government of whatever political formation can control the number of people who voluntarily wish to leave the country.
"This raises questions about future immigration policy. An arbitrary target set by ministers, however well-intentioned, only serves to reduce public confidence in the ability of any government to deliver a future pledge on immigration."
Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May acknowledged the target was "unlikely to be met" before the general election.Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May acknowledged the target was "unlikely to be met" before the general election.
The committee also attacked the Home Office for "poor record-keeping" over foreign nationals convicted of a criminal offence.The committee also attacked the Home Office for "poor record-keeping" over foreign nationals convicted of a criminal offence.
"The public simply cannot understand why people convicted of a criminal offence in our country who are of different nationality are either still in the UK in prison and have not been sent back to their home country, or are at large in the community," Mr Vaz said."The public simply cannot understand why people convicted of a criminal offence in our country who are of different nationality are either still in the UK in prison and have not been sent back to their home country, or are at large in the community," Mr Vaz said.
"Our immigration system has left A&E and has entered intensive care."
'Curbed abuse''Curbed abuse'
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said he would study the report's findings. Mr Brokenshire said the government was building an immigration system which was "fair" to UK citizens and legitimate migrants, and "tough on those who flout the law".
He said the government was building an immigration system which was "fair" to UK citizens and legitimate migrants, and "tough on those who flout the law". The minister said "comprehensive" exit checks would be in place by April, and that they would "increase security and target migration abuse".
Mr Brokenshire said "comprehensive" exit checks were a "crucial part" of that, and the scheme would be in place by April. He said there were 50,000 fewer migrants coming to the country from outside the EU than there were in 2010.
He said government reforms had "curbed abuse, clamped down on nearly 800 bogus colleges, slashed 45,000 visas from the further education route, and cut family visas by nearly a third" since it came to power. Shadow immigration minister David Hanson said: "This is the final nail in the coffin of the Tories' flagship net migration target.
"And the Immigration Act has made life tougher for illegal immigrants... making it easier to remove those with no right to be here. "The committee has declared the target is in tatters and has only served to reduce public confidence in the immigration system."
"As a result there are 50,000 fewer migrants coming to the country from outside the EU than there were in 2010.
"But it will take longer to clear up the mess we inherited."