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UK Border Agency
May 7, 2013
8 Comment(s)
The populist surge of UKIP is encouraging the belief that migration across borders can be brought under control by an act of steely determination on the part of government. This is a big mistake. "Effective management" of migration will remain an impossible dream until we face up to the reality of what is really driving the movement of people.
Why have successive British governments, apparently, made such a hash at administering immigration control policy? The word ‘apparently’ is important because of the difficulty in knowing by what standards we are measuring the success. The high level of discontent which shows up in public opinion surveys, with 70% of respondents regularly expressing dismay at the state of border controls, suggest that all is in disarray and we are truly living in a country with ‘broken borders.’
Why have successive British governments, apparently, made such a hash at administering immigration control policy? The word ‘apparently’ is important because of the difficulty in knowing by what standards we are measuring the success. The high level of discontent which shows up in public opinion surveys, with 70% of respondents regularly expressing dismay at the state of border controls, suggest that all is in disarray and we are truly living in a country with ‘broken borders.’
Apr 7, 2013
8 Comment(s)
Herold Newell’s refusal to be cowed by workplace identity checks ought to be applauded by anyone concerned with the rights of workers. If we give in to the culture of suspicion it is not just immigrants who will suffer, but far wider groups of employees and the users of public services.
There is a sobering story in this week’s on-line edition of The Voice, a paper which reports news from the vantage point of Britain’s black community. It concerns Herold Newell, a lorry driver formerly in the employment of the ASDA supermarket chain.
There is a sobering story in this week’s on-line edition of The Voice, a paper which reports news from the vantage point of Britain’s black community. It concerns Herold Newell, a lorry driver formerly in the employment of the ASDA supermarket chain.
Jul 26, 2012
1 Comment(s)
The American poet Robert Frost said it about walls and the way the forces of nature do their best to pull them down. After the dismal report of the Home Affairs Committee on the underperformance of the UKBA earlier this week it seems like we could say pretty much the same thing about borders....
When something breaks down and all your efforts to fix it only seem to make it worse, sooner or later you’ve got to admit it’s junk and it’s time to dump it. The news that the UKBA has accumulated 275,000 refused applications for which they don’t have a clue whether the person concerned is still here or has left the country surely ought to be the point at which we begin to ask some fundamental questions as to whether the business of managing movement across borders is really worth a candle after all.
When something breaks down and all your efforts to fix it only seem to make it worse, sooner or later you’ve got to admit it’s junk and it’s time to dump it. The news that the UKBA has accumulated 275,000 refused applications for which they don’t have a clue whether the person concerned is still here or has left the country surely ought to be the point at which we begin to ask some fundamental questions as to whether the business of managing movement across borders is really worth a candle after all.
May 17, 2012
7 Comment(s)
New figures suggest that less than 3% of all allegations about immigration offences made to the UKBA lead to arrest. So should the government really be trying to encourage more members of the public to make cold calls reporting suspected ‘illegal immigrants’?
Back in October last year, David Cameron urged the public to play a role in reporting suspected ‘illegal immigrants’ to the UKBA and Crimestoppers. The prime minister said that he wanted people to play a more active role in bringing ‘illegal immigrants’ to the attention of the authorities, despite concerns that this would lead to an increase in false allegations.
Back in October last year, David Cameron urged the public to play a role in reporting suspected ‘illegal immigrants’ to the UKBA and Crimestoppers. The prime minister said that he wanted people to play a more active role in bringing ‘illegal immigrants’ to the attention of the authorities, despite concerns that this would lead to an increase in false allegations.
Feb 21, 2012
2 Comment(s)
Around one in every 2000 people entering the UK between June 2010 and November 2011got in on the basis of a visual check of their ID papers only. We are not worried and we don't care. Here's the reason why...
Ho hum – another day, another crisis at the UK Border Agency. There’s a planet somewhere in the universe where the news that a large government department suffers from the things listed in report of the UKBA Independent Chief Inspector into last summer’s partial suspension of identity checks at a handful of ports would actually merit shock horror news coverage, but it really ought not to be this one.
Ho hum – another day, another crisis at the UK Border Agency. There’s a planet somewhere in the universe where the news that a large government department suffers from the things listed in report of the UKBA Independent Chief Inspector into last summer’s partial suspension of identity checks at a handful of ports would actually merit shock horror news coverage, but it really ought not to be this one.
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