Tens of thousands of illegal migrants were allowed to stay in the
country after telling police that they were British or EU citizens, a
report has found. In response, MPs have accused the police of "taking
their eye off the ball" on immigration.


The report, by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and
Immigration found that in some areas across the country, police
officers were taking migrants at their word regarding their right to
remain in the country, rather than referring them to the Home Office
for checks on their eligibility to stay in the UK as protocol
demands.


According to police figures, between 185,000 and 193,000 foreign
nationals were arrested by police forces in the UK between 1 April
2014 and 31 March 2015, of whom about a third were arrested by the
Metropolitan Police Force, which covers London.


In 2012 police procedures on the arrest of foreigners were
changed.

Previously officers could phone the Home Office
for an immigration status check on those detained, but since that date
officers have been expected to refer the detained person to the Home
Office Command and Control Unit (CCU) or an embedded Immigration
Officer (IO) for processing.


This does not appear to be happening in a significant number of
cases.


"[The] inspection found that not all foreign nationals arrested in the
UK by the police were referred to the Home Office for an immigration
status check. It was not possible to say how many arrested foreign
nationals went unchecked," the report noted, adding: "Home Office data
indicated that the level of referrals varied across the UK."


Whereas Met officers were believed to be referring all or nearly all
foreign detainees to the CCU, officers with the West Midlands were
found not to be referring a significant number of people.


The report found: "When embedded IOs were able to check lists of
people in custody, they routinely found that 5-10 percent of the
foreign nationals detained had not been referred. Both EEA nationals
and those self-declaring as UK citizens were likely to be
missed.


"IOs were reliant on police custody sergeants to

give them access to
the custody database to ensure that all foreign nationals were
identified and referred for a status check, but when the custody suite
was busy this was not always possible."


Officers claimed in some cases not to be aware of the need to refer
people to the CCU or "might assume that the offender was unlikely to
have committed an actionable immigration offence, so would not see any
advantage in involving immigration officers," the report found.


But in other cases, migrants were simply able to claim that they had a
right to stay – and were believed.


"Not all foreign nationals arrested by the police are identified as
such," the report states. "Some misrepresent themselves as UK citizens
or as nationals of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA),
with the hope of evading immigration checks. Meanwhile, police are
less likely to refer genuine EEA nationals for an immigration check,
assuming that they are free from immigration control in the UK.


The report did not look at the effectiveness of any enforcement action
taken by the Home Office after a foreign national had been referred by
the police, meaning that many more who were referred for action may
have escaped deportation nonetheless.


A Home Office spokesman said: "We are identifying and removing more
foreign criminals from the UK than ever before.


"As the Home Secretary recently announced, we are also introducing
stronger powers to deport EEA criminals and stop them returning to the
UK."


Conservative MP Tim Loughton, acting chairman of the Home Affairs
select committee, said: "At a time when the government is focused on
reduced immigration numbers some police forces appear to have taken
their eye off the ball when dealing with foreign nationals in the UK
who may be committing offences.


"It is all very well for Government to say they are deporting more
foreign national criminals than ever but they are starting from a very
low base." V.1820

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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