A shock new report in a Sunday newspaper has revealed how UK Border Agency officials are under official orders not to chase illegal immigrants if they run away from law enforcement officers.
The astonishing rule, contained in chapter 43 of the manual Enforcement Instructions and Guidance, was highlighted by a report in the Sunday Telegraph.
According to a section in the manual, titled "Personal safety in enforcement work," UKBA officers are specifically ordered as follows:
"Do not pursue anyone who leaves the premises.
"In the event a person does leave the premises, notify the police officers present who will assess the situation."
It goes on to say that a chase could lead to UKBA officer being placed in an “uncontrolled situation" while accepting that it is “not unusual for persons present to attempt to leave the building.”
The guidelines go on to state that officers are under instructions not to "patronise" suspects, to give them "body space", to maintain eye contact with them, and to adopt a "relaxed" and "non-aggressive stance".
Despite the rules, which the paper says are “ludicrous,” the UKBA still manages to find a fair number of illegal immigrants in Britain each week.
A perusal of the UKBA press release service, for example, finds the following incidents just within the past few days:
13 July 2010 Restaurant faces big fine. Two Indian illegal workers have been arrested after they were found employed at a restaurant in Elderslie which could now face a large fine.
12 July 2010 Twelve illegal workers caught in Leicester. Twelve foreign nationals have been caught working illegally in Leicester by our officers.
12 July 2010 North Wales businesses caught employing illegal workers
Three people have been found working illegally following a series of operations this week by our officers in North Wales.
12 July 2010 Illegal workers caught using forged passports. Six foreign nationals have been caught working illegally in Telford by our officers.
12 July 2010 Preston brothel closed. New powers to close down brothels were used for the first time in the North of England on 9 July, by our officers.
9 July 2010 Seven arrested at Park Royal plant. Seven people have been arrested following a UK Border Agency raid on a food processing plant in Park Royal.
9 July 2010 Sham marriage operation results in arrest. A Czech female, was arrested as part of a UK Border Agency investigation into a suspected sham marriage.
8 July 2010 Illegal immigrant convicted of identity fraud. A failed asylum seeker from Leicester has been convicted of using fake identity documents to gain employment.
8 July 2010 Multi-agency operation - four arrested. Four illegal immigrants have been caught during a multi-agency operation mounted on a busy Nottingham road.
7 July 2010 Lancaster abbattoir employs illegal workers. Two immigration offenders were arrested at an abattoir at Wyresdale Road, Lancaster during a visit by our officers.
These arrests are, of course, only the tip of the iceberg, as the UKBA is notoriously understaffed and underfunded. Two years ago, immigration officials were told not to work on weekends or after business hours as there was no money to pay overtime.
This in effect allowed illegal immigrants total freedom of movement and activity during those time periods.
It was part of both Tory and Lib Dem election promises to “increase funding” to the UKB and to create a “border police.”
Nothing more has been heard of these plans since the election, and the massive cuts in public spending make those promises seem increasingly unlikely to ever be fulfilled.
