Labour: Asylum amnesty shows govt is breaking its promises
Shadow Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe, commenting on the home affairs committee report into the UK Borders Agency, said:
“This is a scathing report from the select committee which illustrates the gap between what this Tory-led government promised and what it is delivering.
“Following the government’s decision to cut over 5,000 staff from the UKBA, we have repeatedly warned the Home Office that enforcement will suffer as a result. This report shows that managers and staff at UKBA consistently say there are not sufficient resources to track and return illegal immigrants.
“In addition the report states that legacy asylum applications are increasingly being given permission to stay rather than the government seeking their removal. In the last few months there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of applicants and dependents sent home.
“This is woeful mismanagement from the Home Office, adding to the confusion surrounding their policy. We still do not know whether their promise of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands by 2015 is government policy or not, while enforcement of the UK’s borders is being undermined by cuts. The Conservatives made big promises on immigration, but they are failing to deliver.”
