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

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.

A deportation protest outside Vulcan House in Sheffield. Picture: Chris Etchells

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.

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”.

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."

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.

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

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