15 Nov 2011

Borders row reveals Home Office ‘catastrophe’

As the latest border security scandal engulfs the Home Office, a former immigration whistleblower tells Channel 4 News “root and branch” reform is needed to get the department up to speed.

Borders row reveals Home Office 'catastrophe' (Getty)

Ex-Home Secretary John Reid famously described the Home Office’s immigration system as “not fit for purpose” in 2006.

But as the latest in a long line of scandals hits the department – this time about whether officials relaxed border checks with or without ministerial approval – has anything improved since then?

Steve Moxon does not think so. He is the man responsible for revealing a Home Office foul-up in 2004, when he exposed failures to apply immigration checks on migrants coming into the UK.

He was dismissed but his revelations eventually cost then-immigration minister, Beverley Hughes, her job. An internal inquiry found that officials were trying to clear backlogs and ministers did not know about the practice.

Such is the depth of the catastrophe that is the Home Office that nothing short of a root-and-branch reform is necessary. Steve Moxon, Home Office whistleblower

In 2004, Mr Moxon justified going to the press because he believed there had been “a complete and total breakdown of the immigration service”. He does not think anything significant has improved since then.

In his blog on the latest border checks controversy, Mr Moxon said it revealed “the non-system” of UK immigration control. He warned there is “no bottom to this perennial story”.

“Such is the depth of the catastrophe that is the Home Office that nothing short of a root-and-branch reform is necessary, but this presupposes a radical change in political will of which none of the three PC-overwhelmed main political parties are capable,” he wrote.

Latest scandal

In the latest scandal, UK Border Force boss Brodie Clark has been forced to resign over allegations he relaxed border checks at 28 UK ports over the summer without the approval of Home Secretary Theresa May. The home secretary says he was acting alone; but Mr Clark maintains he is not a “rogue officer” and never went beyond ministerial instruction.

Read more from Political Editor Gary Gibbon on The Thick of It saga of UK borders

Mr Moxon told Channel 4 News that the current mess was not a sign of operational failure.

“All of these operational cock-ups that keep coming out of the Home Office are not indicative of procedural problems, but of deep strategic flaws,” he said.

He said that the Home Office needs root and branch reform to fix these flaws, which would take money and staff. However he also warned that, because many of the issues tackled by the Home Office are such political hot potatoes – like immigration – all political parties shied away from any radical change.

“All the changes so far are window dressing,” he said.

“It’s understandable in some ways why the Home Office has, long ago, thrown in the towel. But at the same time that is an indefensible position. Something has to be done.”