5,000 Jobs to be slashed at UKBA

In an announcement to MPs Lin Horner said that 1,700 jobs had already been cut so far this year but thousands more could go as the agency makes large budget cuts and that recent job losses have been a “combination of natural wastage and voluntary redundancies”. Fears have been raised that job cuts could make it a lot more difficult for the body to control migration effectively. The UK Border Agency currently has around 24,000 staff, many of whom work in front line jobs. At the same time as staff numbers are being slashed the Home Office is making it more difficult for migrants to enter the UK therefore less impact may be made than otherwise thought.

Home Office Budget Cuts

Following the Governments recent Spending Review the Home Office has seen its budget slashed by 23%, which means that by 2014/15 the public body will have to work off £8.5 Billion per year. At the time the UK Border Agency, an organisation within the Home Office, saw its budget cut by around 20%. The cuts are expected to mean that around 20,000 Police and Immigration Officers will lose their jobs over the coming years.

Officials have so far insisted that the impact on border controls can be kept to a minimum by making efficiency savings and improving productivity. In response to the Spending Review the UK Border Agency has said that ‘while meeting our international obligations, we will drive down the cost of asylum support and make greater use of technology, focusing efforts on the greatest risks and improving productivity.’ Theresa May, the Home Secretary, also said that \”my absolute priority is to ensure that the UK retains its capabilities to protect the public.\”

The UK Border Agency may now look to increase the cost of visa processing significantly for economic migrants and visitors to the UK in order to top up income.

Commonwealth Contractors

Commonwealth Contractors is a collection of highly skilled professionals from the Commonwealth and beyond. We partner with OISC Registered Immigration Partners capable of professionally representing a Tier 1 Visa Application / Extension and Tier 2 Licensed Consultancy & Associated Trust Partners who may be prepared, where required, to sponsor a doctor on a Tier 2 Visa (formerly UK Work Permit).

Commonwealth Contractors also provides updates on UK Immigration News. To find out more call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your Details and we will get back to you. Please be prepared to send a copy of a recent CV so that we can pass to interested partners.