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thomas davison

Border shambles lets 150,000 migrants overstay their visas as officials have no idea if they are still living here illegallyTotal is about the same as the population of Oxford
Border officials have no idea if they have left the UK

By Jack Doyle
PUBLISHED: 23:18, 4 July 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19, 4 July 2012

A new backlog of more than 150,000 immigration cases has been uncovered by inspectors in the latest border shambles.
The total � which is about the same as the population of Oxford � is increasing by nearly 100 every day.
It is made up of migrants whose visas allowing them to stay in Britain have expired and who have been refused permission to stay on.
A report has revealed the UK Border Agency has a backlog of more than 150,000 immigration cases
But border officials have no idea if they have actually left the country or are still living here illegally.
And inspectors found the beleaguered UK Border Agency has no plan for finding out how many remain, or taking action to remove those who are still here.
In 40 per cent of cases examined by inspectors, the migrants had not even been sent a letter telling them they must quit Britain.

The 'significant' new backlog emerged in a report by John Vine, the chief inspector of the UK Border Agency.
The report, published today, revealed that in mid-December, the total number of cases in the Migration Refusal Pool across the UK stood at 159,313. In the preceding two months, it had increased by 5,492 � or nearly 100 cases a day.
Cases put in the pool were foreign students or workers here legally who applied for their visas to be extended but were refused, and told they must leave within 28 days.
Immigration Minister Damian Green, pictured at Terminal 3 of Heathrow Airport, said: 'We are also working closely with other government departments to create a hostile environment which makes it much harder for migrants to live in the UK illegally.'
Mr Vine said urgent action was needed to tackle it because, currently, tracking down and removing such illegal migrants was not seen as a priority.'
'The agency does not know how many of these individuals have left the country or who are waiting to be removed,' he said. 'I also saw no evidence that there is a clear plan in place for the agency to deal with this stream of work to ensure this does not become another backlog.'
Home Office officials last night refused to say what the total is now, saying they would not provide a 'running commentary'.
Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the think-tank MigrationWatch, said: 'It is vital to the credibility of the whole immigration system that people who have no right to be in Britain should be removed.

'There clearly needs to be a much greater focus on this. It is absurd, for example, that people who overstay should not even be contacted to be told to go.'
'I am astonished that the UKBA has no idea where 159,000 individuals � the size of a city like Oxford � have gone since their application was rejected.'
Labour MP Keith Vaz

The report looked specifically at immigration officials in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, where immigration officials massively underestimated the number of such cases in their area.
They put the total at between 400 to 600 but the real total was 1,893, more than three times higher.
A detailed examination of a sample of cases revealed barely half were recorded as having left the country, and only one had been forcibly removed.
Others had launched new appeals or could not be removed because of human rights or legal barriers.
In 40 per cent of cases migrants were not even sent the legal letters telling them they must leave the country.
The report said: 'The issue is a national problem. We believe the agency needs to be much more pro-active in providing a clear strategic direction for its staff to follow. This should stop the already significant backlog from increasing and ensure steps are taken to reduce it.'
Immigration Minister Damian Green said: 'Under the last government there was no effective strategy in place to ensure migrants left at the end of their time in the UK.
'The UK Border Agency is now working through a group of potential over-stayers to identify those who have not left. We are also working closely with other government departments to create a hostile environment which makes it much harder for migrants to live in the UK illegally.'
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: 'I am astonished that the UKBA has no idea where 159,000 individuals � the size of a city like Oxford � have gone since their application was rejected. This is yet another group of cases we did not know about.

This means there are 150,000 less jobs for our people plus the loss of housing etc, I am sick to death of the Boarder Control Staff not doing there job properly.. Sack the lot of them., and offer the jobs to the thousands of Army lads that are being made redundant. That way you will know the job will be done correctly.
Set a bounty on the heads of the missing people �3000, more if they give the names of their employers who will be fined and imprisoned it will not be long before they are all found and those hiding them brought to book.

2Anne · Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 399 Location: Norfolk

Can you see ahead as to how many illegal migrants on visas will come with the Olympics never to return to their homelands??.
With human rights and ineffective controls they have little chance of being caught and sent backl.
More stupid UK.
More undeserving foreigners on welfare and housing benefit,not to mention the NHS and education services when they start breeding.