BANBURY MP Tony Baldry has accused a Government minister of incompetence over immigration issues.

Mr Baldry aimed his attack at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Home Office minister Liam Byrne MP after he admitted not deporting failed asylum seekers.

The accusations came after it emerged that a failed asylum seeker, known as Mr S, in Mr Baldry's constituency was still in this country after being served with a deportation order more than five years ago.

According to the Home Office, Mr S applied for asylum in 1998, was refused in 2000, exhausted the appeal process in 2001, and was served a deportation order in May 2001.

But despite having "no claim under immigration rules", the case of Mr. S was still "awaiting allocation to a caseworker".

Mr Baldry told Mr Byrne: "What is clearly incompetence on your part as the minister is only matched by the caseworker responsible for the original decision.

"You don't appear to have a target for acting on decisions you reached five years ago, but need to make again.

"You might like to consider that I am living in the world of reality based on day-to-day experiences of what is happening in my constituency, and you and your fellow ministers are living in a fantasy world as this case only too graphically illustrates.

"This case graphically reveals the complete lack of grip of ministers on our borders and immigration system."

In a letter to Mr Baldry, Mr Byrne admitted:

  • There were insufficient staff to deal with the removal of failed asylum seekers and that adequate staff numbers would not be recruited until 2007;
  • Failed asylum seekers were being asked to report to the Immigration Service removals unit, even if their deportation order was immediate. Several years later many failed applicants were still to be deported;
  • There were no Home Office targets to remove failed asylum seekers.

PAsylum seekers who had failed applications and exhausted the appeal process still remained in the system;

  • When the Home Office decided an applicant had no claim under immigration rules, the case needed to be reviewed again by a caseworker.