James Cleverly has tonight sacked the independent borders inspector after he voiced concerns about ‘high-risk’ aircraft landing in Britain without security checks. David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, was due to leave his post on 21 March but has now been forced out a month early after publicly criticising the department. In a statement, the Home Office said that Neal ‘breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the Home Secretary.’

Neal had served in the role since March 2021. He reportedly had his reappointment blocked by Downing Street, in an unusual move given that his predecessors all served two full three-year terms in the post. His dismissal comes less than 48 hours after he decided to publicly voice his criticisms with the Home Office. He provided departmental data to the Daily Mail on Monday which purported to show that the UK Border Force failed to check passengers on hundreds of private jets arriving at City Airport.

The government has strongly refuted the allegations, with immigration minister Tom Pursglove telling MPs today that his department ‘categorically rejects these claims by David Neal’. He added that ‘the information had ‘no basis in fact’ and that Border Force performs ‘checks on 100 per cent of scheduled passengers arriving in the UK and risk-based intelligence-led checks on general aviation’.

Neal also told the Times that a quarter of foreign care workers are abusing UK visa rules by working illegally in other industries as part of his investigation into the social care visa route. Neal submitted a report on the latter earlier this month but it remains unpublished: one of 15 such reports that remain unpublished by the Home Office. His decision to speak to the press appears to have been borne out of frustration with the department’s unwillingness to publish his unhelpful reports in a critical election year.

QOSHE - Home Office sacks immigration inspector after border claims - James Heale
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Home Office sacks immigration inspector after border claims

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20.02.2024

James Cleverly has tonight sacked the independent borders inspector after he voiced concerns about ‘high-risk’ aircraft landing in Britain without security checks. David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, was due to leave his post on 21 March but has now been forced out a month early after publicly criticising the department. In a statement, the Home Office said that Neal ‘breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the Home........

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