January 14 2008 – Ten Point plan for border protection and immigration reform – Fingerprint Checks system ready three months ahead of schedule
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne congratulated the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) staff in a speech on the global rollout of the fingerprint system for checking all visa applicants three months ahead of schedule and significantly under budget.
The system covers 133 countries being ¾ of the world population and nearly 500 cases of identity swapping have been spotted already. Fingerprints taken from more than 1 million people have shown that 10,000 applicants that have been previously fingerprinted in the UK for immigration cases or asylum applications.
Liam Byrne stated:
“The public wants stronger borders. They want us to shut down the causes of illegal immigration and hold newcomers to account, deporting rule breakers where necessary. They also want a compassionate system, which makes and enforces decisions fast when we have obligations to honour - and lets those we need contribute to Britain as long as they speak English, pay tax and obey the law.”
“My goal therefore in 2008 is as ambitious as it is urgent. There are four themes to our work: protection, prevention, accountability and compassion. By Christmas the system will look and feel different. Every month the public will be able to see us not talking about change but delivering on our ten point plan for change. The public is right to demand a new system. We have listened. And we will act.”
The milestones set out by the Minister are:
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within 15 days to check fingerprints before a visa is issued anywhere in the world
-
within 60 days to introduce on the spot fines for employers who don't make the right right-to-work
checks;
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within 80 days to begin the introduction of a new points system for managing migration;
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within 100 days to introduce a single border force and police-like powers for frontline staff;
-
within 180 days to confirm the number of foreign national prisoners deported in 2008 will exceed
2007;
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within 200 days to activate powers to automatically deport foreign national prisoners;
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within 300 days to expand detention capacity;
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within 330 days to begin issuing compulsory ID cards for those foreign nationals who want to stay;
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by Christmas to begin counting foreign nationals in and out of the country and to introduce
compulsory watch-list checks for high risk journeys before they land; and
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within 360 days to make and enforce 60 per cent asylum decisions within six months, with
alternatives to detention for children.
Further detailed information can be obtained from AmblerCollins consultants
info@amblercollins.com
