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Immigration Minister Welcomes Continuing Dialogue with Scotland

27 March 2006

Further measures to ensure that immigration policy is fair, controlled and effective were announced by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty today during a visit to Glasgow.

In his second visit to Scotland in the past six months Mr McNulty gave an update on new measures being implemented which would affect immigration and asylum across the UK.

Measures being taken forward include:

• the introduction of enhanced criminal record checks for frontline immigration enforcement staff working across the UK;
• the creation of a new post of Regional Director for Immigration in Scotland, with responsibility for co-ordinating and managing immigration arrangements in Scotland as part of a broader UK development;
• significant progress on increasing the numbers of failed asylum seekers who leave the UK voluntarily through the Government’s enhanced voluntary returns package;
• a provision in the Police and Justice Bill, currently going through Parliament, which will allow for the independent inspection of the immigration service; and
• a review of family removals processes by the Home Office.

Progress has also been made on:

• working with the Scottish Executive on using the concept of a lead professional who takes responsibility for coordinating information from various health, education, police and social care representatives, which can then be provided to the Immigration Service to help it take informed decisions on the management and timing of the removal of failed asylum seeking families with children; and
• the introduction of new arrangements to handle complaints against immigration officers throughout the UK.

Mr McNulty said:

"I am pleased to be able to announce these measures today and to provide a progress report on issues under discussion, all of which show ongoing constructive dialogue between the Home Office and the Scottish Executive.

"The Government's decision to introduce enhanced criminal record checks for all new frontline staff and existing staff conducting enforcement work recognises that the use of police officers in enforcement work is declining and it is important that the public have confidence in the immigration staff undertaking this important work.
 
"I also welcome the progress being made in encouraging failed asylum seekers from across the UK to leave the UK voluntarily, an issue I promised to tackle when I was last in Scotland. In fact, we have seen 770 individuals return to their country of origin alone in the first two months of 2006 following the launch of the Government's enhanced assisted voluntary return scheme launched in January this year.

"The Government is committed to a firm but fair asylum and immigration policy as set out in our five year strategy published last year and I recognise there are ongoing concerns about the use of enforcement action against failed asylum seekers, but we remain committed to maintaining an effective immigration control and I look forward to ongoing engagement with Scotland in helping to deliver that."

Notes to Editors

1. New five year contracts to provide accommodation across the UK to asylum seekers in need of support were signed this month. The private contractors included a contract for Scotland with the YMCA (see Home Office press release 043/2006)
2. All Immigration Nationality Directorate employees have as a matter of course passed a security clearance check, which involve checking the police national computer disclosing any previous convictions. The new enhanced checks will be in addition to the existing checks undertaken. The checks will be carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau in England and Wales and by the Scottish Criminal Record Office for employees in Scotland.

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See Also

• Home Office Press Release 043/2006