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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Security staff employed illegally | Security staff employed illegally |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Home Office has admitted illegal immigrants have been mistakenly cleared for jobs as security staff. | The Home Office has admitted illegal immigrants have been mistakenly cleared for jobs as security staff. |
| Ministers have ordered new checks on 40,000 people vetted by the Security Industry Authority since 2004. | |
| The Home Office says the SIA did not check applicants were entitled to work in the UK before granting licences. | The Home Office says the SIA did not check applicants were entitled to work in the UK before granting licences. |
| Some are understood to have been working as contract staff for the Metropolitan Police. The Tories said the system was "not fit for purpose". | |
| According to the Sunday Mirror, illegal immigrants were also working at airports and ports. | |
| The newspaper claimed 5,000 illegal immigrants were estimated to have been employed in posts such as security guards and bouncers. | The newspaper claimed 5,000 illegal immigrants were estimated to have been employed in posts such as security guards and bouncers. |
| Removal from UK | Removal from UK |
| The Home Office said the SIA, which it set up to regulate the security industry, took immediate action as soon as they became aware some licence-holders had been employed illegally. | The Home Office said the SIA, which it set up to regulate the security industry, took immediate action as soon as they became aware some licence-holders had been employed illegally. |
| "From July this year, all new applicants have been granted a licence only if they are entitled to seek work in the UK," a department spokesman said. | "From July this year, all new applicants have been granted a licence only if they are entitled to seek work in the UK," a department spokesman said. |
| Public confidence in the government's handling of immigration will take yet another hammering Nick Clegg, Lib Dems | Public confidence in the government's handling of immigration will take yet another hammering Nick Clegg, Lib Dems |
| He added that checks on all existing licence-holders will be completed shortly and anyone found to be working illegally would have their licence taken away and would face removal from the UK. | He added that checks on all existing licence-holders will be completed shortly and anyone found to be working illegally would have their licence taken away and would face removal from the UK. |
| The spokesman stressed employers were legally responsible for ensuring their staff were entitled to work in Britain. | The spokesman stressed employers were legally responsible for ensuring their staff were entitled to work in Britain. |
| He added that ID cards were being introduced for foreign nationals in 2008 which would "strengthen the fight" against illegal immigration. | He added that ID cards were being introduced for foreign nationals in 2008 which would "strengthen the fight" against illegal immigration. |
| A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said after the force was informed in April that a number of people from a contract company might be working illegally they were removed from police work. | |
| The contract company also suspended them until investigations were completed, she said. | |
| The Met refused to say what jobs they had been undertaking, or how sensitive the positions were. | |
| 'Serial incompetence' | |
| Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: "What is extraordinary about this latest Home Office fiasco is that we have been through this before. | Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: "What is extraordinary about this latest Home Office fiasco is that we have been through this before. |
| "Last year the Home office discovered it was employing illegal immigrants as cleaners in the immigration department itself. | "Last year the Home office discovered it was employing illegal immigrants as cleaners in the immigration department itself. |
| "From these new revelations it looks like no effective action was taken to check who has access to some of the most sensitive buildings in this country. | "From these new revelations it looks like no effective action was taken to check who has access to some of the most sensitive buildings in this country. |
| "It looks like the Home Office is still not fit for purpose." | "It looks like the Home Office is still not fit for purpose." |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "Public confidence in the government's handling of immigration will take yet another hammering with this revelation. | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "Public confidence in the government's handling of immigration will take yet another hammering with this revelation. |
| "It is impossible to promote the merits of a fair and effective immigration system as long as the government mixes headline-grabbing populism with serial administrative incompetence." | "It is impossible to promote the merits of a fair and effective immigration system as long as the government mixes headline-grabbing populism with serial administrative incompetence." |
| The SIA has cleared 250,000 applicants since it first started issuing licences in 2004. | The SIA has cleared 250,000 applicants since it first started issuing licences in 2004. |