Immigration Removal Targets ‘no surprise’
As Home Secretary Amber Rudd faces increasing criticism over the treatment of the Windrush generation, one of our senior Immigration lawyers, Jordana Adams, confirmed in an interview with LoveSport Radio that the existence of Immigration removal targets for Voluntary Departures from the UK comes as no surprise.
Immigration removal targets to be scrapped
A day after Mrs Rudd denied the existence of Immigration removal targets, she announced in Parliament that ‘local targets’ for ‘internal use’ had been in place and would be removed. The announcement came the day after Mrs Rudd had denied the existence of targets for the removal of migrants from the UK to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
The admission of the existence of removal targets by Mrs Rudd comes as no surprise to many London Immigration lawyers. Jordana Adams, one of OTS Solicitors’ senior Immigration lawyer discussed the matter on LoveSport Radio. She confirmed that:
“We haven’t been aware of specific targets, but it come as no surprise to us at OTS Solicitors that there have been targets set due to the approach that the Home Office has taken when we have been dealing with them … particularly when they are looking at removal and detention”.
Frustration with the Home Office approach
Jordana went on to explain her frustration with the approach of the Home Office generally, even towards a case where there is genuine evidence to back up the claim. She spoke of the challenges for many people who have the right to be in the UK due to the ‘difficulty, complexity and expense’ of the Immigration system. Legal Aid is only available on an ‘exceptional case’ basis which means that many people are unable to access proper legal advice about their cases. This can lead to errors in applications and much stress and worry as well as the practical problems that members of the Windrush generation have been experiencing.
While the attitude of the Home Office to regularising Immigration status, even in the face of very clear evidence of the individual’s right to be in the UK, has long led Immigration solicitors in London to suspect the existence of these targets, this is backed up by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. A report published in 2015 clearly shows targets for Voluntary Departures were set at 7,200 for 2014/2015, rising to 12,000 for 2015/16.
Concerns remain around targets
Although the Home Secretary confirmed the existence of targets, she asserted that they were not used to measure performance, and only confirmed to remove them ‘if they were being used inappropriately’. This is something that we at OTS Solicitors will be keeping a close eye on as the Immigration scandal continues to unfold.
If you or a relative are a member of the Windrush generation and have been experiencing problems as a result of the Home Office’s approach to Immigration status, OTS Solicitors can help. We are one of the top Immigration law firms in London, ranking highly in the Legal 500 for Immigration and Human Rights. Make an appointment today to speak to one of our Immigration law experts and Human Rights specialists by calling 0203 959 9123.