Immigration backlog 'chaos'

An investigation into UK border controls has revealed that more than 16,000 immigrants are waiting to hear whether they can stay in Britain. The number of applicants has grown to 700 a month.

Immigration 'chaos' taking years to recover

It has been revealed that the number of migrant applicants is growing at a rate of 700 a month, with around 14,000 already refused the right to stay in the UK.

With 16,000 migrants currently waiting to hear if they can stay in the UK, campaigners Migration Watch UK have branded the backlog as 'chaos'.

This is yet further evidence of the chaos in the immigration system from which they are taking years to recover.

– Sir Andrew Green, chairman of campaigners Migration Watch UK

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UK border control is 'failing to check' applications

An investigation into UK border control has found that 16,000 migrants are currently waiting to hear whether they can stay in Britain.

  • 2,100 cases were yet to receive an initial decision as to whether they could stay in the UK or not, some dating back to 2003
  • 180 of these applicants wanted to stay for marriage or civil partnership reasons
  • The UK Border Agency is failing to check whether applicants earn enough to live without state handouts
  • Staff are not consistently applying the "income support threshold" rule to applicants who want to stay in the UK due to marriage
  • The percentage of allowed marriage appeals in total was too high at over 50 per cent April 2011 and February 2012
  • Problems with the agency failing to take into account the rights of children when refusing further leave in the UK were also discovered

'This situation causes anxiety, uncertainty and frustration'

Sixteen thousand migrants are currently waiting to hear whether they can remain in the UK, according to an independent investigation into UK border controls.

This situation causes anxiety, uncertainty and frustration for those individuals and their family members.

Delays in deciding applications also mean that enforcement action is likely to be more difficult in the event that the case is ultimately refused.

This is because the individual will have been in the UK for a number of years and may have developed a family or private life.

– John Vine, Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration

Immigration inspectors find backlog of 16,000 migrants

An investigation into UK border controls has revealed that more than 16,000 immigrants are waiting to hear whether they can stay in Britain.

The number of applicants is growing at a rate of 700 a month, with around 14,000 already refused the right to stay.

Some people have been waiting 'considerable periods of time' for cases to be resolved Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration John Vine discovered the backlogs as part of an inquiry into applications to remain in Britain on the basis of marriage.

Mr Vine said: "We are concerned that this backlog of cases has been allowed to develop. As a result, some applicants have been waiting for considerable periods of time for their cases to be resolved."