Memos leaked to the populist tabloid revealed that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith knew of the problem as long ago as last summer, but (in conjunction with her Press Office) chose not to publicise the fact to the public at large. “There was no fiasco. There was no blunder. There was strengthened and improved action,” Smith told the BBC News web site.
The already beleaguered minister suggested her priority had been to establish “the full nature and scale of the problem” and take immediate action to deal with it rather than “place incomplete and potentially misleading information into the public domain”. Read our coverage here
A report issued on 20 August apparently stated that neither the Home Office nor the Regulator knew the true extent of the problem. The Government’s review of 40,000 security operatives afforded licences by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) over the past three years is scheduled for completion by the end of December. By the time officials finish their checks, the BBC’s political editor Nick Robinson speculates that the total figure of illegal workers ‘uncovered’ could jump as high as 8,000.
Some of the ‘illegals’ have been deployed by the Metropolitan Police Service. Others have worked at highly sensitive UK sites (including ports and airports, no less). An illegal operative had even been watching over Government cars, it appears, including one belonging to the Prime Minister of the Day.
Post-July, the Regulator has carried out right to work checks on 100% of applicants for a licence (excluding EU and EEA nationals who enjoy the automatic right to work in the UK), although it is still under no legal obligation to do so. The Home Office is insisting that obligation still rests squarely with the employers.
Public confidence
Thanks to these latest revelations, public confidence in the Government’s handling of the whole immigration issue has taken yet another hammering. How can the merits of a fair and effective immigration regime be promoted to the full when the powers-that-be are intent on mixing headline-grabbing populism with what Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Nick Clegg aptly describes as “serial administrative incompetence”?
When taking office, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a “different type of politics” based on “more open and honest dialogue”, but it hasn’t taken long for that rhetoric to be blown completely out of the water.
We’ve been here before, too. Remember last year when the Home Office suddenly ‘discovered’ it was employing illegal immigrants as cleaners in none other than its own Immigration Department? Seemingly, not a great deal has changed since.
The good news in this sorry saga (if indeed anything good can come of news like this) is that the SIA is blameless, only last August reminding security companies of their obligations under the law. It has done its duty by the book. The fact that employers haven’t played ball prior to July is where the problems have arisen. Read our coverage
Not surprisingly, the Home Office has been desperate to deflect criticism from itself, waxing lyrical about ID cards being introduced next year for foreign nationals, in turn “strengthening the fight against illegal immigration” (and working). “Last year, we removed an immigration offender every eight minutes”, states the Government. Marvellous, but there are obviously so many holes still pervading the system or else this current fiasco (and that is most definitely what it is, despite any clever political spin to the contrary) wouldn’t have arisen.
Ultimately, the whole affair is seriously injurious to the reputation of the Home Office and, by association at least, the security sector itself. At a time when many organisations and practitioners are striving to rid the industry of its past image and reputation and boldly bidding to enter a professional, regulated era, we are told that some of the country’s most high profile locations have been ‘protected’ by individuals who had no right to be in post in the first place. That is seriously worrying, and little short of appalling.
Heads ought to roll
To be frank, heads ought to roll in Westminster but, of course, they will not. Covering up issues that are most definitely of national importance (which appears to have been the case here) is not excusable. How can anyone have faith in a Government that would even countenance such a course of action, particularly on a matter as important as this one?
The Home Secretary should have been both frank and candid about the illegal workers licensed to work in sensitive posts as soon as the problem arose. For the time being, it would appear that not a great deal has been taken on board by the Home Office’s ‘spin kings’ in relation to the abject failures of some of her predecessors when faced with similarly thorny situations.
Mistakes will be made. None of us are perfect, but when our national security is at stake they simply cannot be concealed. If image is everything to the politician, it is more than that to the private security sector at this moment in time. The latter can well do without the governing faction in Westminster muddying waters that have only just begun to be cleansed of unwanted debris.
Until next time,
Brian Sims
Editor, SMT
