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Reforms strengthen immigration controls as more foreign national prisoners are removed from the UK

14 June 2007

The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) today published its first Agency business plan alongside a report into the failure to consider some foreign national prisoners for deportation last year and an update on progress in deporting those 1013 foreign national prisoners from the UK.

BIA Chief Executive Lin Homer confirmed major strides forward made since 2006 including: near doubling the deportation rate for foreign national prisoners; settling almost 40 per cent of asylum applications by either removal or grant within six months; deporting more failed asylum seekers in 2006 than ever before and laying the
foundations for new off-shore border security measures.

Today's business plan sets out details of an ambitious transformation programme for the year ahead, including the doubling of frontline enforcement capacity by April 2009.Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency Lin Homer said:

"As a new Agency I believe we have made major strides since April 2006 and we are making progress towards building a fair and effective immigration system which Britain can have confidence in. I am grateful to the team that produced this report into our failure to consider some foreign national prisoners for deportation and I endorse its conclusions.

"In the past year a range of actions have been undertaken to rectify the problems identified here. There has been a five-fold increase in the number of people working in this field, an overhaul of the guidance provided to staff and closer working with the prison service to identify foreign national prisoners who should be considered for
deportation sooner.

"It is a sign of our improvements that we have deported 2,784 foreign national prisoners between April 2006 and March 2007. We continue to make further improvements. 1,000 foreign national prisoners were deported in the first three months of 2007 alone, nearly doubling thenumber for the same period in 2006."

Since April 2006 when the issues which led to the failures dealt with in the report came to light, changes to the Home Office have placed protection of the public as its clear central objective and have ensured that no foreign national prisoners are being released from custody without first being considered for deportation.

Delivering an immigration system fit for the 21st Century has seen:

  • a new strategy for combating illegal immigration, mobilising the efforts of public and private sectors in a concerted drive to minimise the harm caused;

  • a new charging regime for our services that will raise up to £100 million from foreign nationals;

  • new powers via the UK Borders Bill to strengthen our borders, close down organised crime and strengthen our ability to detect, detain and deport those here illegally;

  • new proposals to exploit identity technology abroad and at home, enabling us to understand better who comes to the UK. Over 70,000 people have enrolled in BIA's trusted traveller scheme;

  • Biometric visas are now issued in 63 countries; by 2008 all visa applicants will be required to provide fingerprint and facial biometrics before entering the UK. New technology is already helping track 20 million passenger movements into and out of the UK;

  • proposals for new international alliances to strengthen global co-operation to manage migration;

  • From January to May this year we have carried out over 6,000 enforcement visits, resulting in over 4,000 arrests. The plan sets out a radical programme of change for the next 12 months including:

  • a points system for managing migration, simplifying the rules, and ensuring that only those that Britain needs can come here to work and study;

  • greater transparency of policy making delivered by the Migration Advisory Committee and supported by the Migration Impacts Forum to help Government take into account the wider impacts of migration;

  • the creation of a new agency to deliver immigration services, the Border and Immigration Agency, with the operational freedom to respond to challenges with innovation, flexibility and speed;

  • a new unified inspectorate, combining the energy and resources of smaller inspectorates to ensure that the new Agency is more open and accountable than before; and

  • a stronger regional structure to provide clarity to local communities about the Agency's performance where people live, and the flexibility to deliver on local immigration priorities.

Notes to editors

  1. BIA Chief Executive Lin Homer's letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee can be found at: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/
  2. The internal report: 'A review of the failure of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to consider some foreign national prisoners for deportation' can found at:
    http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/
  3. The Border and Immigration Agency Business Plan is available at: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/

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