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The Home Office is dysfunctional and in urgent need of reform, the recently-sacked independent borders inspector has told the BBC’s Today Podcast.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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David Neal said immigration failures went to the top of the department. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In one example, he said a lack of radios for border gate officers at Heathrow was “madness”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Home Office said: “A programme of work is already well under way to reform and strengthen Border Force’s capabilities.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Neal is the most senior independent voice with detailed knowledge of the Home Office to publicly criticise its handling of migration in recent times. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The government sacked him last month, saying he had leaked confidential information, after he told journalists of his concerns that the Border Force was failing to carry out proper security checks on private jets. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The latest statement from the Home Office said Mr Neal had “had his appointment terminated after he had leaked sensitive information he was told was inaccurate and as a result lost the confidence of the home secretary”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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At the time of his sacking, 15 of Mr Neal’s reports were being withheld from publication by the Home Office, the oldest dating back almost 18 months. Thirteen have now been put online. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n- Airport borders not working properly, report found<\/li>\n
- Immigration watchdog sacked for leaking critical reports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Speaking to the Today Podcast in his first broadcast interview since he was fired, Mr Neal said he had regularly found that failings within the immigration system came down to cock-up rather than conspiracy – and too few officials at the Home Office were prepared to take responsibility. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“This is just poor Home Office activity,” he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“I think there is a culture within the Home Office that means that they [immigration officials] are ‘blaming up’ to ministers.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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When he had raised his findings with senior officials, he said he had sometimes received a “rolls eyes” expression which he took to mean that civil servants felt their hands had been tied by “beastly” home secretaries. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“You can’t get away with that in the army,” said the former head of the Royal Military Police. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“You don’t complain about the situation, you deal with the world as it is, not as you hope it to be.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He said he had seen “again and again, in so many areas, senior officials who just don’t get it\u2026 it comes down to this challenge in the Home Office of policy people versus operational people. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“And this doesn’t cost a lot. We’re not talking about, sort of, super postgrads here. We’re talking about normal people who have experience of delivery. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“It goes right to the top\u2026 if you’re going to be responsible for a department, if you’re going to be accountable for the outputs of your department, then clearly it goes right up to the Permanent Secretary.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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One of his long-unpublished reports into e-Passport gates revealed that Heathrow Border Force officers tasked with roving around incoming passengers did not have radios to raise the alarm with colleagues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“We’re in this ridiculous position where the front line of defence at the eighth busiest airport in the world, the attention of officers… is attracted to their colleagues by whistling or waving – which is absolute madness,” he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“I’m pretty sure that the public would think that is appalling.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Home Office’s published response to that report said it had “partially accepted” Mr Neal’s recommendation for more radios – but it has not been clear whether all officers will get them. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n