The British-registered vehicle was stopped by UK Border Agency officers based in Calais as it approached British controls shortly after 10:00 on Sunday 21 November.

They checked the husband and wife’s passports, as well as documents belonging to their passenger.

The officers soon realised that he was travelling using a Bulgarian identity, which is believed to have been doctored with a substituted photo.

As members of the European Union, Bulgarians have visa-free access to the UK,  however, like Romanians, they do not enjoy the same rights to work as the earlier Eastern European EU accession countries such as Poland and Latvia.

Many start businesses, which is allowed, or work and study on a Yellow Card Visa. Romanian and Bulgarian Students taking vocational or sandwich courses, such as NVQ in Health and Social Care, are allowed to work full time, as stated on their Yellow Cards.

At first, officers were unable to ascertain the passenger’s true nationality as he couldn’t write and claimed not to be able to speak. However, the man pinpointed his homeland – Iraq – on a world map.

The man later revealed he was able to speak when he asked officers for a cigarette.

The husband was refused entry by the UK Border Agency and handed over to the French Border Police to be arrested for alleged people smuggling. Although bailed, he has been forced to hand over his brand new £35,000 BMW as assurance that he will attend court on January 18 2011.

His wife has been allowed to return to Streatham to be with her 7 year old son.

Carole Upshall, in charge of UK Border Agency operations in Northern France, said:

‘This is exactly why we base so many British officers overseas – to prevent attempts, such as this one, to get in to the country illegally.

‘In this case, we also suspect substantial sums of money would have changed hands had the attempt been successful.

‘I am grateful to the work of the French authorities in working with us to break up organised criminal networks seeking to breach our common border.’

In 2009, the UK Border Agency stopped over 29,000 individual attempts to cross the channel illegally and searched over 1,000,000 freight vehicles.

Officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

They use an array of search techniques including detection dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners as well as visual searches to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and cigarettes. Source: UK Border Agency.

Last week Immigration Matters reported that 5,000 jobs will be axed at the UK Border Agency over the next four years, according to its Chief Executive.

Lin Homer said 1,700 jobs had been cut so far this year but thousands more could go as the agency, responsible for controlling migration and securing UK borders, is forced to make budget cuts of about 20%.

The cuts, which are part of a massive UK government budget cuts programme, have raised serious concerns about the ability of the UK Border Agency to effectively control UK borders and enforce immigration controls.

See also:

Work restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians not helping Care Industry

List of Bulgarian and Romanian work permits issued

Latvia blames Ireland for its Citizens taking part in sham marriages for money

UK net immigration increases say ONS

UK Border Agency to lose 5,000 jobs in spending cutback

Weekly UK Immigration News Round up 28 November 2010 

Romanian Gypsy rights campaigner jailed for £2.9m immigration fraud

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Ministers will urge councils to ensure everyone receiving care gets a personal budget by 2013.

This will allow individuals to decide what their state allocation is spent on, and is seen as key to getting the voluntary sector more involved in services.

It comes amid growing concern about funding for the sector.

More than 1.7m people received support from social services in the last year – a figure which is set to double over the next 20 years.

The growing demand has prompted councils to start cutting back on services, including access to care homes and home help.

This means the biggest challenge facing the government is how to fund the service. It is currently means-tested but an independent commission is looking at whether this should be replaced by a voluntary or compulsory insurance system of some kind.

This commission will not report back to the government until next summer.

This policy paper will deal with establishing a vision for local government.

It will stress the need for greater personalisation through increasing the number of people receiving personal budgets.

Just over a tenth of those needing help get personal budgets, but the government will demand this is rolled out to everyone within three years.

There will also be more support for carers to allow them to take breaks. About one million people provide more than 50 hours of care to loved ones, and the government is expected to promise an extra £400m to give them more time off.

This would fulfil a promise the government made soon after coming to power and was budgeted for in the recent spending review, which promised extra money for social care.

Stephen Lowe of Age UK said there was a risk the extra funds being promised could be sucked into other areas of local government spending which are facing cutbacks.

But he added: “Many older people will welcome increased choice and personalisation of services. However, payments will not be for everyone and people should always have a choice of whether they or the local authority arranges their care. People need support to navigate the system.” Source: BBC

The care industry employs many thousands of migrant workers and the sector could not run without overseas staff.

Until more details are released it is difficult to predict exactly how these changes will impact employment opportunities.

The UK government is facing the problem of an aging population combined with a lower ratio of working people to those in retirement.

The situation is even worse in other European countries such as Germany, France and Italy, which all have much higher state pensions with falling numbers of people at working age paying the taxes to fund those in retirement.

In the long run Europe needs productive migrant workers to keep their economies growing, pay for pensions and look after its growing elderly population.

See also:

Weekly UK Immigration News Round up 14 November 2010

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The UK Border Agency has recently implemented a number of important changes to the Tier 4 Student Visa system, which have caused much confusion since they took effect earlier this year. Before you apply for a visa or extension of leave to remain, read this article.

Phil Woolas to launch Judicial Review

Former UK Immigration Minister Phil Woolas’ will launch a legal battle to be reinstated as an MP after being stripped of his seat by an election court for lying about an opponent.

Foreign criminals paid £1,500 to go home after serving sentence

The Daily Telegraph reports that foreign murderers, rapists and other criminals are being offered cash bribes of up to £1,500 to return home after serving their sentences. What do you think about the scheme? Common sense or a waste of money?

Students riot in London over fee increase

The BBC reports that there have been clashes between demonstrators and police in London today, as students and lecturers protest against plans to treble tuition fees and cut university funding in England.

Pakistan Cricketer Zulqarnain to seek asylum in UK

After fleeing Dubai, Pakistani wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider spent nearly five hours in Heathrow airport in London reportedly to discuss plans to seek political asylum in the UK with the immigration authorities.

Romanian Gypsy rights campaigner jailed for £2.9m immigration fraud

As members of the EU Romanian and Bulgarians are allowed to come to the UK, but do not have the same rights to work as the earlier Eastern European EU accession countries such as Poland. Many start businesses or work and study on a Yellow Card Visa. Romanian and Bulgarian Students taking vocational or sandwich courses, such as NVQ in Health and Social Care, are allowed to work full time, as stated on their Yellow Cards.

UK Government to Scrap Earned Citizenship

The message is clear to those who may now qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR (permanent residency) or for British Citizenship – Apply now, while it’s on sale!

British man arrested in Australia over visa fraud

Temporary visa holders who become involved in immigration fraud can face charges with possible jail terms of up to 10 years.

Immigration cap insults NHS workers says leading Doctor

This political stunt could block much-needed specialist workers from settling in Britain when they are vital for our economy and public services, says Kailash Chand in a blog for the Guardian.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The High Court in London announced that a judicial review into the ruling, the first of its kind for 99 years, would be heard on Tuesday and last for one and a half days.

At the same time, John Bercow, the Commons’ Speaker, issued a statement making clear that it was not his decision to delay holding a by-election to replace Mr Woolas, a former Labour minister, until after the legal proceedings are concluded.

Any MP can move a writ which would trigger a by-election, but by convention it is for the party of the person who departs the House to fire the starting gun.

The disgraced Mr Woolas has been disowned by his own Labour party and is busy raising the estimated £50,000 needed to start proceedings.

Mr Woolas was the immigration minister who oversaw the introduction of Tier 4 of the points based system, which ironically has faced a raft legal challenges (Pankina, English UK) and judicial reviews against his former department’s decisions.

Last month the High Court ruled that the decision of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to revoke the tier 4 sponsor licence of London Reading College was ‘unlawful’. Unlike Mr Woolas, the college had to wait over a year for its day in court, by which time it had closed down. The ruling leaves the door open for a substantial claim for damages according to Solicitors Penningtons.

See also:

Former Immigration Minister Woolas in disgrace

UK Border Agency ‘unlawful’ in revoking College Tier 4 Sponsors Licence High Court rules 

Points Based System appeal case succeeds 

UK Border Agency issues new guidance following Pankina judgments

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The Coalition, which wants to ease the pressure on overcrowded jails, has trebled the amount of money offered to prisoners who go back to their country of origin voluntarily.

Those who agree to return with up to nine months left to serve will receive a bigger payout than those who go at the end of their sentence, in an attempt to create more space in prisons.

Hundreds of criminals who have no right to remain in the country are likely to take advantage of the offer each year, costing the taxpayer millions of pounds.

Critics attacked the payouts as “obscene” when law-abiding families and victims were facing higher living costs, falling wages and widespread austerity measures.

The incentives, first offered by the Labour government in 2006 in an attempt to avoid drawn-out deportation battles, were criticised by the Tories when in opposition.

Under Labour, most of the support was made up of benefits in kind to ease resettlement, such as help with setting up a business or obtaining training or education.

The most the criminals were offered in cash was £500. The money is put on a prepaid card which means the criminals can go straight to a bank and withdraw the funds.

They are given £500 as they leave the country and another £1,000 within a month of arriving in their home country.

All they have to do is explain to the International Organisation for Migration, the body which runs the scheme overseas for the Home Office, how they intend to use the cash.

The handout is meant to help freed prisoners pay for such things as accommodation, setting up a business or medical treatment but officials were unable to say if any checks were carried out to see how the money was spent.

Foreign criminals could squander the cash and try to sneak back in to Britain.

The payouts have been tied in to an early release scheme under which foreign prisoners can have up to nine months cut from their jail term if they agree to return home.

Those who go early will be eligible for the full £1,500, while those who go at the end of their sentence will be eligible for £750.

British prisoners are given a £46 grant when they leave jail.

Last year, almost one in three – or 1,660 – of the 5,535 foreign criminals removed from Britain went voluntarily after accepting a handout, including a Malaysian migrant, Agnes Wong, who killed a 17-month-old baby.

If a similar number goes next year the bill for the taxpayer will be almost £2.5 million.

In opposition, Dominic Grieve, now the Attorney General, labelled the scheme “simply outrageous” and meant “crime pays and the taxpayer foots the bill”. Damian Green, who is now the immigration minister, said the then government had abandoned any attempt at removing foreign criminals and was instead “paying them to leave”.

On Tuesday, he said: “Every day that a foreign national is held in prison costs the taxpayer money, that is why I want to see them removed from the UK at the earliest opportunity.

“The Facilitated Returns Scheme is a practical solution that not only saves the taxpayer money in the long run, but also means foreign criminals are removed as soon as possible, denying them the opportunity to reoffend or drag out the removal process with frivolous appeals.”

The Home Office said the move would save money because the overall value of the package had been cut. Under the old system, packages were worth up to £5,000 but the majority was assistance “in kind” which is no longer available.

Lin Homer, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, told the Commons home affairs select committee the change was “due to the current economic situation”.

Philip Davies, a Conservative backbencher, said: “People say crime does not pay but obviously it does if you are a foreign criminal. It seems quite obscene that criminals are basically being given £1,500 bribes for abusing our hospitality and committing a crime.”

On Tuesday it emerged that just a third of the 1,013 foreign prisoners wrongly released without being considered for deportation have been removed from the country since 2006.

More than 400 have been told they can stay, 121 are still facing deportation, 22 are serving new sentences and 70 are still missing. Source: Daily Telegraph.

Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke lost his job over the prisoner release mess, because it was revealed that most foreign prisoners should be automatically deported upon release. It seems odd that the country should now have to pay to deport them?

If a person is due for legal automatic deportation, which already costs the taxpayer several thousand pounds and often involves several private security guards flying all over the world, why should the Home Office also have to pay that person a ‘golden handshake’? 

Overstaying migrants caught working illegally in the UK are deported every day without the need for a ‘cashback’ offer, so why should prisoners be treated any differently?

The Home Office argue that the scheme saves the taxpayer money by avoiding costly long drawn out appeals, which the prisoner could fund on legal aid.

What do you think about the scheme?  Common sense or a waste of money?

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Zulqarnain, who left the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai just hours before the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa on Monday claiming he had received threats from alleged bookmakers, reached London late evening by an Emirates flight.

After emerging from the Heathrow airport terminal building he called up ‘Geo News channel’ to say that he was fine and this message should be conveyed to his family in Lahore.

But interestingly when asked about why he spent so much in the terminal building with immigration authorities, the wicketkeeper only stated that he had been advised by them to seek the help of lawyers giving further credence to speculations that he was planning to seek political asylum in the United Kingdom.

Zulqarnain also said that he wanted his wife and children to join him in London as soon as possible.

“I have a one month visa for the UK and I have come here on my own expenses. I will be staying at a hotel on my own expenses,” he said.

But he refused to elaborate when asked for the reasons for his sudden departure from the Pakistan team hotel saying he would speak on it later.

Sources close to the 24-year-old said he had already started getting offers from leading tabloids and channels to give an exclusive interview to them on the reasons for his departure from the team hotel in return for hefty appearance fees.

A throng of reporters and camera crews were camped outside the Holiday Inn hotel, Heathrow where the cricketer was staying earlier this week.

The keeper caused a furore in Pakistan cricket when he departed for London on the day of the final ODI against South Africa which his team lost last night.
Zulqarnain and his brother in Lahore confirmed that he had received threats to his life with the keeper also mentioning this on his facebook account. Source: Times of India.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Lavinia Olmazu, a leading campaigner for the rights of Roma (Gypsies), helped mastermind the scam involving 172 members of the Romanian community.

Olmazu, of north-east London, gained access to them through her work with Haringey and Waltham Forest councils.

The 31-year-old admitted a fraud charge at Southwark Crown Court in July.

As well as working as an outreach worker with the councils, the university graduate was involved with the Big Issue.

She set up companies with her boyfriend to help facilitate the frauds they carried out as part of a gang.

Sentencing her, Judge Deborah Taylor told Olmazu, of Woodford Green, her role in the fraud was “made easier” by her involvement with the local authorities and charities which granted her access to people within the Roma community.

She added: “You identified individuals who wished to be involved in this scheme and in doing so, abused your position with a number of charities.

“You were a previously well-respected woman working in human rights. You have now lost your reputation by involving yourself in this fraud.”

Immigrants from Romania are not entitled to a National Insurance number, and therefore a number of benefits, unless they can prove to the authorities they have been employed.

The court heard Olmazu and her partner, unemployed Alin Enachi, would offer false documents for money to the migrants purporting to be from their employers, and also provided them with fake references.

Migrants would pay in cash for help with their applications before going on to receive benefits, such as child tax credits, working tax credits and child benefit, if their applications were successful.

Olmazu, who has an 11-year-old son, admitted one count of conspiracy to supply articles for use in fraud between November 2007 and August 2009.

Enachi, 30, also of Woodford Green, was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply articles for use in fraud between November 2007 and August 2009.

Olmazu and Enachi were part of a gang of eight, all of whom have now been sentenced for their part in the fraud.

A police spokesman said even though £2.9m had been claimed illegally, the scam would have defrauded the UK of more than £10m if the authorities had not intervened.

A confiscation hearing will be held at a later date, but the court heard £40,000 had passed through Enachi’s account.

Det Con Melanie Groves, from the Metropolitan Police, said: “This is a clear case of Roma families who wished to improve their lives but were prevented from doing so by being exploited by their own people.” Source: BBC

As members of the EU Romanian and Bulgarians are allowed to come to the UK,  but do not have the same rights to work as the earlier Eastern European EU accession countries such as Poland.

Many start businesses or work and study on a Yellow Card Visa. Romanian and Bulgarian Students taking vocational or sandwich courses, such as NVQ in Health and Social Care, are allowed to work full time, as stated on their Yellow Cards.

Work restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians not helping Care Industry

List of Bulgarian and Romanian work permits issued

Special work permit application forms and guidance for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals published

If you need any immigration advice or help with Yellow Card Visas, study schemes, Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

On 18 October 2010 the High Court ruled that the decision of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to revoke the tier 4 sponsor licence of London Reading College was unlawful and leaves open a claim for substantial damages, Penningtons Solicitors reports.

Former Immigration Minister Woolas in disgrace

Shadow UK Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has brought British politics into disrepute yesterday after his 2010 election win was declared void and he was suspended by the Labour party.

Philippine Government say they are ‘powerless’ over Canada ‘immigration consultants’

Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz claims foreign and local “immigration consultants” have capitalized on many Filipinos’ desire to pack their bags for Canada.

Abu Hamza wins British passport appeal bid

The BBC reports that Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has won his appeal against government attempts to strip him of his British passport, a special tribunal has ruled.

Cap on immigration won’t cut numbers sufficiently say MP’s

The proposed cap on immigration from outside the EU will not be enough for David Cameron to keep his promise to reduce net migration from 196,000 to tens of thousands by 2015, MPs have said.

New updated guidance for employers on preventing illegal working

The UK Border Agency has published new guidance this week for employers on ‘preventing illegal working’.

Students in England face tuition fees rising to £9,000

Overseas students already pay the full fees for their UK education and are not affected by the changes. The funding changes further highlight the need for non-EU overseas students, which are worth some £8 billion to the UK economy.

Canada will maintain immigration levels but reduce economic migrants

The federal government wants to keep Canada’s immigration levels steady next year but change the mix of newcomers, limiting economic immigrants and boosting the number of spouses and children. In its annual report to Parliament on immigration, the Conservative government says it aims to take in between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents next year. That’s the same target as this year and last.

UK Immigration Cap may be relaxed

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday his government would do everything possible to prevent a planned immigration cap from depriving U.K. companies of skilled workers from overseas, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Migrant organisation calls for more protection for Filipino Au Pairs’

Whilst there are cases of bad treatment, the vast majority of UK Filipino Domestic Workers enjoy higher than average salaries (you will not get a Domestic Worker in London for less than £300/£350 per week NET of taxes – a salary package equivalent to over £25,000 per annum or 1.7 million Pesos) and free board and lodging in the best parts of town.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

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The former Labour Immigration Minister faces a three-year parliamentary ban after being found guilty of deliberately making false statements about a Lib Dem rival in campaign literature.

A by-election (re-run) must be fought in Oldham East and Saddleworth, pending appeal.

Mr Woolas won the seat by just 103 votes, having previously held a majority of 3590 over Lib Dem rival Elwyn Watkins following a bitterly fought campaign.

But his opponent argued the false allegations probably swayed the vote in such a close contest.

Mr Woolas will join the many of Tier 4 colleges with suspended or revoked sponsor licences in applying for a judicial review of the decision, handed down by two High Court judges.

Through his Solicitor he issued a statement saying the judgement would “chill political speech”.

A specially-convened election court – the first of its kind for 99 years – was set up in Saddleworth in September to hear the charges against Mr Woolas.

He was accused of stirring up racial tensions in his campaign leaflets by suggesting Mr Watkins had pandered to Muslim militants, and had refused to condemn death threats Mr Woolas said he had received from such groups.

Mr Woolas ran a “risky” campaign, the court was told, designed to “galvanise the white Sun vote” because he feared he faced defeat on poling day.

The serving minister of state was also accused of making a false statement that Mr Watkins had reneged on a promise to live within the constituency prior to the election.

Declaring the May poll result void, Mr Justice Nigel Teare and Mr Justice Griffith Williams said Mr Woolas knew all three statements were untrue (legalese for ‘he lied’!), and was therefore guilty of illegal practices under election law.

They said: “In our judgment to say that a person has sought the electoral support of persons who advocate extreme violence, in particular to his personal opponent, clearly attacks his personal character or conduct.

“It suggests that he is willing to condone threats of violence in pursuit of personal advantage.

“Having considered the evidence which was adduced in court we are sure that these statements were untrue. We are also sure that the respondent had no reasonable grounds for believing them to be true and did not believe them to be true.”

Mr Woolas was ordered to pay £5,000 and costs to Mr Watkins.

In a statement, he said the judgement “raised fundamental issues about the freedom to question politicians”.

He added: “Those who stand for election can participate in the democratic process must be prepared to have their political conduct and motives subjected to searching, scrutiny and inquiry.

“They must accept that their political character and conduct will be attacked.

“It is vital to our democracy that those who make statements about the political character and conduct of election candidates are not deterred from speaking freely for fear that they may be found in breach of election laws.”

Don’t expect support from your own party Mr Woolas

Swiftly announcing Mr Woolas’s ‘kick him while he’s down’ suspension from the party, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said:

“It is not part of Labour politics to try to win elections by saying things that are not true.”

Simon Hughes, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the decision was “a significant moment in British legal and political history”.

He said: “Mr Woolas has come severely unstuck and I am very pleased for politics and the rule of law that the judges have said so clearly that this was unacceptable.”

Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi accused Labour leader Ed Miliband of a “terrible misjudgement” in appointing Mr Woolas as shadow immigration minister.

She said: “He was fully aware of Phil Woolas’s despicable and inflammatory campaign but still appointed him to a highly sensitive role on his front bench.”

The case against Mr Woolas was brought under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act.

This makes it an offence to publish “any false statement of fact in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct” to prevent them being elected – unless they believed it was true and had “reasonable grounds” to do so. Source: BBC

Last year Mr Woolas was forced into an embarrassing climb down over the Ghurkha soldier’s claims, after being hijacked on live TV by campaigning actress Joanna Lumley.

The Home Office has become a political graveyard for many ministers in recent years.

Home Secretary’s Charles Clarke and David Blunkett both resigned over immigration issues, whilst Jacqui Smith and Tony McNulty were involved in ‘second homes’ expenses scandals.

In his time at the Home Office and UK Border Agency the then Immigration Minister presided over the implementation of the Points Based System, the biggest overhaul to the immigration system for 60 years.

The introduction of Tier’s 1, 2 and 4 (for student visas) of the points system has proved controversial, and has seen the government lose a number of high profile legal challenges including: Home Department v Pankina, English UK and this week’s landmark judgement on the London Reading College Tier 4 Licence Tier 4 licence revocation case.

See also:

UK Border Agency ‘unlawful’ in revoking College Tier 4 Sponsors Licence High Court rules 

Points Based System appeal case succeeds 

UK Border Agency issues new guidance following Pankina judgments

Yes, there are many types of student visa so beware when changing college

Changes to sponsor guidance announced by UKBA

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Illegal immigrants have been discovered working as cleaners at the House of Commons – an embarrassing security breach at the supposedly tightly guarded building, the Daily Mail reports.

All staff at the Palace of Westminster are required to undergo stringent background checks by police and the security services before being issued passes to the heart of Britain’s Government.

But this did not stop around ten  illegal immigrants getting jobs with KGB Cleaners, the outsourcing firm with the contract to clean lavatories, sweep corridors and polish floors in the Palace of Westminster.

The breach is all the more astounding as the cleaners would have enjoyed unchecked access to the offices of MPs and senior Government Ministers, including Prime Minister David Cameron.

Last week the Home Office refused to say how many illegal immigrants had been discovered working at the Palace and for how long.

The group was rounded up after inquiries by the UK Borders Agency, and officials refused to give more details citing ‘on-going inquiries’.

But the Metropolitan Police were called in to arrest at least one of the immigrants, a 44-year-old Nigerian man, who was held at work at the Palace of Westminster on August 12 before being handed over to immigration officials.

It is understood he is now being held in a secure immigration holding centre awaiting removal from the UK.

The other individuals are understood to have been detained by UK Borders staff elsewhere and are also believed to have told they will be removed from Britain.

Last night a spokeswoman for the Palace of Westminster confirmed a number of people working as cleaners had been detained for immigration offences.

She said the group of ‘less than ten’ individuals had all been vetted when they first began working at the Houses of Parliament and had all been cleared by security officials.

However, she said, it was believed the immigration status of the individuals had changed and that they had failed to notify their employers or the Palace authorities.

She said it is thought several of the individuals were asylum seekers who had exhausted all avenues of appeal and had been told to leave Britain.

Others, she said, were understood to be over-stayers whose work visas or leave to remain in Britain had expired.

The latest blunder comes after a series of similarly embarrassing security breaches during the Labour Government’s years in office including the discovery that illegal immigrants were employed as cleaners in the Home Office department responsible for kicking them out of the country.

The five Nigerians were caught as they turned up for work at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate office in London. It is also not the first time KGB Cleaners, which employs 120 staff at the Commons, has been at the centre of controversy.

Last year cleaners at the House of Commons threatened strike action after being denied a 45p pay rise.

KGB took over cleaning services at the House of Commons in September 2008, giving existing staff a 60p rise to £7 an hour in line with the London Living Wage – a minimum pay level calculated to reflect the capital’s cost of living.

When the London Living Wage rose to £7.45 the company at first refused to raise wages accordingly.

The firm – named after the initials of its founders Kevan and Gina Brown – was set up in 1994 to, according to its website, ‘create an innovative environment where the expectations of both clientele and staff will be consistently met’.

The company has an annual turnover of £26 million.

Employers discovered using illegal immigrants are normally issued with a notification of potential liability and face a fine of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker.

Bosses also have a duty to check that employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom. Source: Daily Mail.

See also:

Nine illegal workers in care home deported – 6 Filipinos sent home

CYNTHIA BARKER SAYS CARERS AND CHEFS TO BE REMOVED FROM SHORTAGE OCCUPATION LIST

Net immigration figure pose a problem for UK Prime Minister Cameron

Massive Job Opportunities in Canada

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

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