Perhaps if the Security Industry Authority (SIA), The Home Office and The Border and Immigration Agency were more closely linked, those persons who were illegally residing in the UK and attempting to gain an SIA licence would be easily flagged earlier enough in any checking procedures to ensure that their illegal immigration status could be dealt with more quickly and appropriately? The Regulator wouldn’t have to waste time issuing a licence which was then found to have been illegally obtained (leading to its withdrawal and a 42-day wait for an individual to appeal).
If the person realises as a result of this action that their immigration status is to be challenged, knowing that they are illegally residing in the UK it seems to me that he/she may attempt to evade agencies such as The Border and Immigration Agency with even greater gusto. What’s to stop them from simply ‘disappearing’ again?
A linked database with relevant information included would allow all three agencies to immediately check-up on the information given by an individual and inform the other agencies involved that this person is illegally applying for an SIA licence either because they are not known in the UK or are known to have illegally entered (and/or be residing in) the UK.
As to the issue of this whole matter being a cover-up by the Government, if the issue was of concern as far back as 2005 then why did it take two years before any serious intervention began? Surely an investigation into the facts of the matter using the information held by the National Security Inspectorate as a starting point would have been appropriate?
The revelation that one security operative was working illegally while ‘guarding’ the Prime Minister’s vehicles beggars belief. That assignment is no ordinary security assignment. Surely this person’s security status would have needed to be higher than normal, and therefore the required security checks would have been more thorough? How did this person pass what one presumes would have been such a high level of security vetting?
Looking at these issues from a client’s perspective, how can I guarantee that the individuals patrolling multi-million pound sites in commercially sensitive or other situations where security is paramount are not as described in this problem?
I accept and would firmly hope that my ‘Security Provider of Choice’ has not deliberately employed individuals who are illegal immigrants or do not have the right to work here. An SIA licence is supposed to be some sort of guarantee that such issues will not arise. As this has been shown not to be the case, what do we rely upon now?
Every time a theft or other breach of security occurs on site, will the security team be the first to be investigated purely because the client is aware of these issues?
