Thousands Of Illegal Immigrants Working In The Security Industry

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith revealed last week that the number of illegal immigrants given licences to work in the private security industry is more than double the figure the government had informed Parliament of in the previous month.

More than 11,000 immigrants were issued licences by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the organisation set up by the government to vet those employed as doormen and security staff, despite having no legal right to work in the UK.

Some 6,600 illegal immigrants were licensed to work, and another 4,400 people are also thought not to have the right to work in Britain.

She also revealed that only 409 licences had been revoke but added that the SIA had written to 10,000 people warning them that their authorisation could be withdrawn.

The shadow home secretary, David Davis, demanded to know how the system had "gone so badly wrong" and said there had been a "huge policy failure" in the Home Office. Smith maintained the agency was not legally been required to check if people could legally work in the UK, saying it had always been the responsibility of employers to do so.