UKBA backlog could end in immigrant amnesty
The UK Border Agency's attempt to clear its backlog of cases could create an effective amnesty for illegal immigrants, MPs have warned.
The latest report by the Home Affairs Select Committee found the backlog stood at 302,000 by the end of June - a number spiralling out of control, according to committee chair Keith Vaz.
Mr Vaz added: "Entering the world of the UKBA is like falling through the looking glass. The closer we look, the more backlogs we find, their existence obscured by opaque names such as the 'migration refusal pool' and the 'controlled archive'."
Immigration Minister Mark Harper said the Government was "getting on top" of the number of immigration cases:
“The UK Border Agency - we are getting it back into shape. We were always clear it was going to take a number of years and it was going to take the rest of this Parliament. We will get the occasional problem but we’re taking robust action and we’re getting on top of it.