Border System Flaw: UK Can't Track Visa Exits

A critical flaw in the UK's border system is allowing migrants to potentially overstay their visas undetected, a senior Labour MP has warned. Clive Betts, a former minister, highlighted the Home Office's failure to consistently record when individuals leave the country after their visas expire.

The current system relies on matching airline passenger data with visa records, rather than conducting comprehensive exit checks at border control. Mr. Betts, the MP for Sheffield South East, argued that this lack of thorough exit checks significantly increases the risk of individuals remaining and working in the UK illegally. He asserted that without implementing proper exit checks, the border system will "continue to fail."

Marc Owen, Director for visa status, admitted to the Government's Public Accounts Committee that they are "not tracking every single individual" from abroad working in the UK. He explained that his team can only determine if someone has left the country by cross-referencing airline passenger information with visa records. Consequently, the Home Office primarily relies on employers to conduct visa checks and on enforcement officers to apprehend individuals working illegally or overstaying their visas.

Recent data indicates a surge in enforcement activity. Between July 5 and October 31 of last year, there were 3,188 enforcement visits, a notable increase from the 2,371 raids during the same period in 2023. Arrests also saw a rise, from 1,836 to 2,299. Additionally, the Home Office issued nearly £1.9 million in fines to approximately 50 London businesses during this timeframe.

Mr. Owen stated, "We use our immigration enforcement services to visit illegal working places on the basis of intelligence and to collect people and to return them as they can."

Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Betts attributed the absence of exit checks to the "general failure of the border system over several governments." He urged the government to strengthen the system and make robust visa checks a fundamental aspect of its forthcoming immigration plan.

The Labour party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, is expected to unveil its immigration "reset" proposals next week. Reports suggest that these new measures under consideration include raising the English language proficiency requirements for UK work visa applicants. Furthermore, migrants may be required to wait up to a decade before being eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain, doubling the current five-year period. Visa applications from nationalities deemed more likely to overstay and seek asylum in the UK could also face stricter restrictions under these new plans.

The upcoming Immigration White Paper is intended to reduce net migration, which reached approximately 728,000 people last year.

A Home Office spokesperson responded, stating, "Under our plan for change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system."