Review could show 10,000 working illegally
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:00 AM
Up to 10,000 immigrants could be working illegally in the security services, it emerged yesterday.
The home secretary Jacqui Smith has been battling to regain her political credibility after she was accused of withholding figures on illegal migrants from the public.
Leaked Home Office memos reveal Ms Smith accepted advice from her department's press office not to reveal the number of non-EU nationals illegally working in security agencies.
Ms Smith's media advisers told her it was unlikely the press would portray it as a positive story.
Defending herself before MPs, Ms Smith revealed up to 10,000 immigrants could be working illegally as security guards, but said the total figure was still unknown.
Ms Smith denied withholding the story from the public because of its potential for political embarrassment. Instead she said she had waited until the situation had been fully analysed.
A complete review of how many of the 40,000 foreign nationals licensed to work as security guards are working illegally will be completed next month.
Preliminary checks, however, suggest the true figure could potentially double the 5,000 illegal workers touted by the Conservatives yesterday.
Of the 6,000 foreign nationals subject to preliminary checks, 77 per cent had the legal right to work. Of the remainder, 12.5 per cent were still being checked but 10.5 per cent were illegal migrants.
It has now become clear that Ms Smith was first told illegal immigrants had been cleared by the Security Industry Authority on July 2nd, two days after taking office.
Concerns had first been raised after the Borders and Immigration Agency told ministers in April 2007 that 44 illegal migrants were working for the police as security guards.
In August, the Home Office press office advised against making the story public, saying the "lines" it had prepared were not good enough.
Ms Smith said she had not felt the need to tell the prime minister either because it was "not a fiasco".
Downing Street maintains the prime minister has "full confidence" in Ms Smith, who is also being backed by Cabinet colleagues and Labour MPs.
The Conservatives maintain the affair has undermined Gordon Brown's claim to run a "frank and candid government".
Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "In one of her first actions as home secretary, [Ms Smith] put avoiding political embarrassment ahead of solving the problem and informing the public.
"That is neither frank nor candid."
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