Private firm to trace ‘illegals’

The beleaguered UK Border Agency is bringing in a private firm to track down at least 150,000 missing migrants who have been refused permission to stay in the UK.

Immigration minister Damian Green announced the move yesterday.

It came after John Vine, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, said last week that tracking down absconders and removing them from the UK was not seen as a priority for the agency.

At least 150,000 migrants have been refused permission to stay in the UK but the authorities do not know how many have actually left, the watchdog said.

But Conservative minister Green admitted that this figure could be growing by up to 100 a day as more and more visas expire.