Smarter, larger, intelligence led units boost immigration enforcement

New teams will be rolled out from the beginning of 2007, including within them 400 police constables and 40 sergeants, bringing sophisticated intelligence skills to the field of immigration crime.

These 800 new immigration officers mean a 25 per cent increase and are the next step in reform of the Immigration Nationality Directorate (IND) announced in July. It builds on progress already made by the Government, which achieved a record level of removals of failed asylum seekers in the last quarter of 4,480 between April and June 2006. With almost 60,000 individuals removed or returning voluntarily to their home country from the UK in 2005.

Home Secretary John Reid said:

“These measures are the next step in a comprehensive strategy building on the commitment that I made in July to transform the Immigration Nationality Directorate and boost its enforcement capability to ensure we tackle illegal immigration and provide a fair and effective immigration system fit for the 21st Century.”

A vital tool for the new enforcement teams will be closer working with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), whose operations to target criminal gangs behind trafficking will in turn help IND strengthen UK immigration controls.

Working in partnership with SOCA will build on the resources that immigration officers currently draw on. Joint working is vital and by sharing intelligence to build better knowledge we can maximise our joint impact on tackling illegal immigration - ensuring that immigration officers have another valuable ally to help them work more effectively and efficiently.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that around three quarters of illegal entrants have been brought to the UK through organised crime. SOCA has already committed itself to targeting around a quarter of its operational effort at organised criminal gangs who exploit immigration, the intelligence they can provide IND is invaluable.

SOCA’s Director General Bill Hughes said: 

 “The criminals behind organised immigration crime are motivated by profit and treat people purely as commodities. This causes direct harm to individuals, communities and businesses in the UK.

“SOCA is committed to working in partnership with IND to tackle these organised criminals. We will work together to understand how their businesses operate, identify their vulnerabilities and target them in a joined-up way.”

Additional measures will be introduced to deter, detect, detain and remove illegal immigrants:

• an accelerated roll out of civil penalties for employers;
• a leaflet campaign targeting 500,000 companies across the agricultural, construction; manufacturing and hospitality industries, advising employers that it is in their interest to know what the law is and what they need to do to comply with it;
• more resources to harness intelligence from the public through Crimestoppers from January 2007;
• to explore options for expanding detention capacity further with the aim of achieving an additional 650 spaces by the end of 2007; and
• together with the judiciary we are consulting on changed processes for minimising the number of bogus judicial review applications we get against removal or deportation. 

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

“All of these measures build on our commitment to boost enforcement by doubling our capability and our budget. By bringing to the table 25 per cent extra staff and a commitment from SOCA to work closely with the IND to ensure our work is co-ordinated and supported by shared intelligence helps achieve our aims.

"SOCA has already committed itself to targeting around a quarter of its operational effort at organised criminal gangs who exploit immigration, the intelligence they can provide IND is invaluable.

“Over the past three months I’ve met immigration officers from all over the country to listen to how we can toughen the immigration system. They’ve said we need extra resources, new powers and 21st century tools to do the job.

“Today we are setting out the first part of our response; how we are going to use a doubling of resources to crack down on immigration crime.”

These measures are the next step in a comprehensive strategy, to transform enforcement of the immigration system in the UK and improve IND’s ability to detect, detain and remove illegal immigrants.