MPs criticise Border Agency bonuses

MPs have criticised in a report the £295,000 of bonuses which have been paid out to senior managers in the UK Borders Agency (UKBA).

The report from the Commons home affairs committee said they are concerned over the 'chaotic' registration of asylum seekers by the UKBA and said it was clearly under-performing.

Ministers also warned that the 2011 target for clearing a backlog of cases from asylum applications must be accelerated, and is particularly concerned about the huge proportion and number of total applications - over 54 per cent - that have been concluded either by error or for some other reason which the UKBA can't define - rather than by a grant or refusal of leave.

But the border and immigration minister Phil Woolas has responded to the report saying the UKBA has made considerable improvements and bonuses were only paid for outstanding work.

Mr Woolas said: 'The truth is that our border has never been stronger, as illustrated by the fall in asylum applications, the record numbers we are stopping at Calais, and the watch-list checks that are undertaken before people even step on a plane.

'The UK Border Agency is continuing to make progress in dealing with the legacy backlog of older asylum cases, and has already concluded more than 220,000 cases. We are now looking at whether we can clear the backlog earlier than summer 2011.

'With the creation of the UK Border Agency we assembled a management team from across Whitehall and beyond who are leading dynamic changes across the business. I believe that it is right to reward staff for outstanding work, and bonuses are only ever awarded to those who have performed to a high standard.'

It was reported in October that 40,000 asylum cases may effectively be abandoned and applicants allowed to remain in the UK because it was too difficult to return them to their home countries.

Chairman of the home affairs committee Keith Vaz said: 'There is still a huge backlog of unresolved cases and UKBA simply must get through them faster than they have promised.

'What is really surprising and disappointing is the number of cases where the UKBA is basically saying 'we don't know' exactly what has happened to these applicants – over half the applications are concluded for some 'other' reason than being granted or denied leave: too many of these are errors, and for the vast majority it appears UKBA just can't tell us what's happened.

'And it is astonishing that the latest efforts to get their house in order threw up another 40,000 files that had been effectively abandoned incomplete – yet, in 2007/8 29 employees received £295,000 in bonuses. No one can forget the previous home secretary describing UKBA to my predecessor committee as 'not fit for purpose'. We know the agency has had a lot to contend with, but it is apparent that UKBA still has a long way to go before it is operating as it should.'

Baroness Scotland's 'housekeeper' arrested

The former housekeeper of Baroness Scotland whose illegal employment status threatens the attorney general's career has been arrested, inthenews.co.uk understands.

Loloahi Tapui, 27, and a man thought to be her husband were arrested over suspected immigration offences last night, sources said.

Baroness Scotland apologised and was fined £5,000 after being found to have unknowingly employed Ms Tapui for five years despite the Tongan national not being eligible to work in the UK.

Gordon Brown backed the government's top legal adviser, saying she acted in 'good faith' but her parliamentary private secretary Stephen Hesford MP resigned over her decision not to quit.

The episode was especially embarrassing for Baroness Scotland, who in her former role as Home Office minister helped push the relevant immigration laws through the Commons.

inthenews.co.uk understands that Ms Tapui and her husband were arrested at their west London home last night. They are thought to have been released on bail until next month.

A UK Border Agency statement said: 'We can confirm that a woman and a man were arrested and questioned by UK Border Agency officers on September 23rd for immigration offences in relation to an ongoing investigation.'

French police dismantle Calais migrant camp

French police have launched an operation to dismantle a makeshift camp set up by migrants near Calais.

Human rights protestors have gathered in the area shouting: 'No borders, no nation, no deportation', and some arrests have been reported.

The camp, known as 'the jungle', is home to hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers, and this morning it was surrounded by hundreds of French police who moved in to evict those living there. Many of those living in the camp are asylum seekers from Afghanistan, of which there are many children.

Some refugee groups have urged the UK government to take in the asylum seekers, but home secretary Alan Johnson has said he was 'delighted' about the closure of the camp, adding that genuine refugees should apply for asylum in the country where they entered the European Union.

Mr Johnson said: 'Both countries are committed to helping individuals who are genuine refugees, who should apply for protection in the first safe country that they reach.

'We expect those who are not in need of protection to return home.'

Reports this morning say about 300 migrants are still in the camp, with about 1,000 believed to have already left. It is said rights activists initially formed a human chain as the operation began to stop the migrants from being evicted, but French police have claimed all will be given the right to apply for asylum or voluntary assisted repatriation.

However, the Refugee Council has said the closure of the camp will fail to provide a long-term solution unless accompanied by dramatically improved arrangements to identify vulnerable refugees. The council said they were shocked by the poor living conditions in the jungle when they visited it in May.

Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council said: 'Closing down the camps is treating the symptom, not the cause. We know that among the migrants in Calais are refugees seeking a place of safety, and some are very vulnerable indeed.

'This is a European-wide problem, which needs a European level solution.

'Standards for looking after refugees differ greatly among European countries, with some countries having particularly poor systems that fail to offer safety to those who need it. Until there are adequate arrangements in place in all European countries to look after refugees the problem in Calais will not go away.'