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Immigration targets missed

No progress has been made on tackling immigration into the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Net migration to the UK remains unchanged at 250,000 in the year to September 2011, far exceeding the Government’s target of reducing net migration to less than 100,000.

IPPR associate director Sarah Mulley said: "The Government has so far made no progress towards meeting its target of reducing net migration to less than 100,000. It has also found that it is very difficult to reduce immigration to the UK without imposing significant costs on the economy."

But a Number 10 spokesman said that Home Office statistics painted a different picture, showing that immigration policy was having the desired effect.

He said: "The ONS net migration statistics are to August 2011. The Home Office immigration statistics run to March 2012 so they are more up to date.

"If you look at the Home Office stats, you do see falls in various categories which shows that the tightening of immigration controls is having an effect.

"So the fall is -21% for the study route, -8% for the work route, -16% for the family route. That is evidence that the changes we are making to the rules are starting to have an impact.

"It's still our intention to bring levels of net migration back down to tens of thousands, clearly that's going to take some time."


Green Box: Immigration Click to open

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Cooper: Get a grip on borders

Security at the UK’s borders has got “substantially worse” under the Coalition, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned.

Speaking at Home Office Questions, Ms Cooper urged Theresa May to “get a grip” after a serious of “failures” at Britain’s airports.

Ms Cooper said the numbers of people absconding at border control or escaping from detention or disappearing has “more than doubled since the election”.

“The problem has got worse since the election, very substantially. Time and again it is getting worse, month-on-month, not better,” she said.

“Isn’t the truth that this is another example of failing border control and weaker action on illegal immigration on her watch?

“We’ve got controls downgraded hundreds of times, hundreds of staff being cut and then at the last minute re-recruited…will she get a grip?”

However the Home Secretary hit back, claiming the Government was “putting right” the problems that grew up under Labour.

“It is this government that is actually the one government that is putting in place controls in our immigration system - it was the last Labour government that allowed people to come in without any controls on the immigration system,” she said.

“It’s about time the Labour party accepted responsibility for what they did when they were in government.”

Child asylum seekers still being locked up

The immigration service continues to detain child asylum seekers, a report by the Refugee Council will allege this week. The report says officials are wrongly classifying children as adults in spite of a Government pledge two years ago to end child detention.

Clerical staff to man borders

The Mail on Sunday reports that clerical staff are being given three days' training before being drafted in to man airport immigration desks during the Olympic Games.

 

Yvette Cooper, shadow Home Secretary, said the Government is taking a risk with Britain's security. “The Government have had years to plan for the Olympics and to train up the necessary staff needed...drafting in poorly trained staff at the last minute to cover the entire summer pressures and Olympics is taking risks with our security and with the country's reputation at a time when the whole world's eyes will be on us."

Qatada bail application set

Abu Qatada's application for bail will be heard on 28 May by a senior immigration judge, according to the Judicial Communications Office.

Currently held in a high-security prison, Mr Qatada is hoping to walk free by the end of the month.

The Home Office says it still believes he poses a real risk to national security.

His lawyers have warned the political situation in Jordan has worsened since his last appeal, which may cast fresh doubt on the UK's ability to deport him.

Home Office staff most dissatisfied

17/05/2012 in Immigration

Home Office staff most dissatisfied

A survey of civil servants has found that those working in the Home Office are the most demoralised, with two-thirds claiming the department was being harmed by "incompetent" staff.

Joan Collins tells May 'listen up'

15/05/2012 in Immigration

Joan Collins tells May 'listen up'

Actress Joan Collins has launched a Twitter attack on the Home Secretary telling her to "listen up" and recruit more staff at Heathrow airport. Dame Joan was returning to the UK from Ameri...

Govt 'playing' immigration numbers

14/05/2012 in Immigration

Govt 'playing' immigration numbers

A leading thinktank today suggested that the Government has been playing an 'immigration numbers game' by including overseas students in its migration count. The Institute of Public Policy...

Children detained in 'degrading' conditions at Heathrow

14/05/2012 in Immigration

Children detained in 'degrading' conditions at Heathrow

Children detained during immigration at Heathrow are being held in "degrading and disgraceful" conditions, a new report has found. The airport's Independent Monitoring Board found in its a...

Border force faces new criticism

13/05/2012 in Immigration

Border force faces new criticism

The UK Border Force is facing fresh criticism after it was accused of relaxing controls on electronic passport gates during busy times to minimise queues. The Immigration Services Union has ...


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