Secret document shows the Home Office is ‘not fit for purpose’ and failing on immigration

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the Home Office is “not yet fit for purpose” after the release of a damning report that was kept secret for years.

The review, written under the previous government, uncovered a series of shortcomings, including a ‘culture of defeatism’ on immigration, a lack of trust from other departments, and ‘several confused and conflicting systems’.

The review has been made available for the first time following a long-standing legal battle by the Times. Responding to the revelations, Mahmood, who took over as home secretary from Yvette Cooper in September, vowed to overhaul the department, which she said had been “set up to fail”.

Reforms in place

The Labour government has already pledged to a number of key immigration concerns – including a new language test.

Migrants will be required to pass tough new English language requirements under a law introduced in Parliament on Tuesday (14 October), as the government aims to replace Britain’s failed immigration system with one that is controlled, selective and fair.

Immigrants applying through certain legal routes must meet an A-level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

The Secure English Language Test must be conducted with a Home Office-approved provider, and the results will then be verified as part of the visa application process.

A series of changes to position the UK as a global leader in attracting highly skilled talent, outlined in the immigration white paper, and aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy, are also being made.

Changes include:

• Expansion of the High Potential Individual (HPI) route to graduates from the top 100 international universities, with a cap of 8,000 applications per year. The number of people coming to the UK through the HPI route is expected to double from 2,000 to 4,000, giving graduates from the world’s best universities the chance to base their careers in the UK.
• The world’s most talented entrepreneurs studying in the UK will also be able to seamlessly establish innovative business ventures in the UK after concluding their studies, while transitioning from a student visa to the Innovator Founder route.
• Enhancements to the Global Talent route, including an expanded list of prestigious prizes and changes to expand some of the evidential requirements of achievement and contribution for architects.

Now read: Major new immigration changes to take effect in the UK from November