300,000 are wrongly let into Britain each year
Up to 300,000 visas allowing foreigners the right to enter Britain are wrongly handed out every year, MPs were told yesterday.
The shock admission – from a senior immigration official – means that millions of illegal immigrants may have been let into the country.
Home Office staff are under pressure to grant rather than reject visas to meet Labour’s productivity targets.
The figure renewed anger over Labour’s soft-touch border controls last night.
Senior Tories said the admissions “made a mockery” of the Government’s claims to be in control of immigration.
Linda Costelloe-Baker, an independent watchdog of the visa system, laid bare the failings during a hearing of the Commons Home Affairs Committee yesterday.
She said around 15 per cent of short-term visa approvals were marred by errors. Nearly two million visas are approved each year, giving foreign nationals the right to come to the UK for six months, she said.
his makes a mockery of Labour’s claims to have a grip on our immigration system. It is obvious that its operation is neither firm, nor fair
Embassies and consulates examine 2.4million applications each year from tourists, businessmen and people visiting relatives to check if they intend to leave after their visa expires.
They also check they have enough money to live in the country and are not looking for a job, she said. Around 80 per cent are approved.
Ms Costelloe-Baker said officials considering visa applications found it much easier to approve visas than reject them.
Issuing was a “much faster” process than refusal. She added: “I don’t think there has been adequate scrutiny of decisions to issue. I think there is pressure to issue visas because it helps people hit productivity targets.”
Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve said: “This makes a mockery of Labour’s claims to have a grip on our immigration system. It is obvious that its operation is neither firm, nor fair.
“This error rate not only increases the scope for increased illegal immigration, but is obviously a security threat. The public will be dismayed that Labour targets are making our border controls more vulnerable.”
Tory MP David Davies asked if it was reasonable to assume that 15 per cent of approval notices were “incorrectly approved”.
“I think that’s a reasonable supposition,” Ms Costelloe-Baker told the hearing.
Mark Sedwill, the international director of the UK Border Agency, said: “Our decisions are fair and objective, and last year the Independent Monitor determined they were right and reasonable in 99 per cent of cases.
“It is untrue to claim our staff give out visas when people do not meet the criteria.
“In fact every application is scrutinised, fingerprints are taken, and the individuals checked against a range of watch-lists. Visas provide the first line of defence against those who seek to abuse the system. Travellers are subject to further tough checks at the border.
“Already we’ve fingerprinted more than three million people and identified 4,600 cases of identity fraud. So far this year we’ve refused visas to nearly 20 per cent of applicants.”
