'Wild' plan to privatise asylum seeker process criticised by SNP

A deportation protest outside Vulcan House in Sheffield. Picture: Chris EtchellsA deportation protest outside Vulcan House in Sheffield. Picture: Chris Etchells
A deportation protest outside Vulcan House in Sheffield. Picture: Chris Etchells
A plan to outsource the interview process of asylum cases to a private contractor has been branded “deeply concerning” and a “wild” move by the UK Government.

Currently interviews with people seeking asylum in the UK, which have just restarted after the Covid lockdown, are carried out by civil servants.

However, the Home Office is reportedly exploring other options to reduce the backlog of cases.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said it had received a letter outlining how a private contractor could be used - a move it condemned as “deeply concerning" while SNP MP Chris Stephens described the plan as “outsourcing going wild”.

Read More
Why asylum seekers risk their lives to cross the English channel - and what happ...

Mr Stephens said: “This is something that's a quasi-judicial function and something that we believe should be in public hands, delivered by civil servants who are trained to do the job.

"For the UK Government to outsource a key part of the asylum process to a contractor for private profit is deeply concerning and wrong, particularly when there is evidence showing that private companies have failed to carry out their duties humanely when it comes to the asylum system previously.

"The Home Office has argued before that private companies who run public sector contracts are exempt from human rights legislation. On an issue like this, this could have serious consequences for people who are claiming asylum here in the UK."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesman for the PCS union said: “Outsourcing a key part of the asylum process to a contractor for private profit is deeply concerning and wrong.

"We need a humane, well-resourced department rooted in a public service ethos, not private companies making money at the expense of vulnerable individuals.”

However, the Home Office said using external suppliers “temporarily” could speed up decision making and reduce delays which built up as a result of coronavirus restrictions.

A spokeswoman said: "We are exploring many options to reduce the number of outstanding asylum claims, and alongside seeking temporary resource from within the Home Office and other government departments, we are exploring with external suppliers whether they can deliver the support required as a short term measure.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Asylum interviews have not been outsourced, and at this stage we are only exploring the potential feasibility.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice