Immigration Entry Clearance Standards — 30 Mar 2004 at 15:45

I beg to move,

That this House condemns the Government's failure to maintain immigration entry clearance standards; regrets the confusion as to whom the relaxed guidance actually applies; notes the unwillingness of Ministers to take responsibility for the operation of immigration policies; expresses deep concern that, at a time when homeland security is paramount, current fast-tracking procedures do not enable full and thorough checks on applicants; applauds those public servants who bring the Home Office's failings and dishonest internal workings to the attention of honourable Members and the wider public; calls on Her Majesty' Government to reinstate those officials currently suspended from duty; recognises with regret that recent revelations have exposed grave deficiencies in the immigration service; and believes that the Government has lost both the confidence and the trust of the British people in its ability to control immigration policy.

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

"congratulates the Government on having embarked on radical end to end reform of the immigration and asylum system including strengthening border controls, reducing asylum intake by more than half, increasing immigration removals to record levels and speeding up the processing of applications for leave to remain in the UK; notes that, as indicated in a statement published by the Government on 29th March, all Governments have instituted reasonable and proportionate measures to deal with backlogs of applications by people already in this country for permission to extend their stay; and applauds the fact that the Government, by investing more staff resources than ever before, has reached the point where the Backlog Reduction Accelerated Clearance Exercise (BRACE) is no longer necessary."

Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:-

The House divided: Ayes 156, Noes 378.

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