Officers are part of an “improved control service” that includes providing information on people’s right to work and their suitability for municipal services. The built-in officer can also pass undocumented details to immigration officers. These immigration officers have been deployed to 25 local authorities, according to files obtained under the Freedom of Information (FoI). They work in services that deal with vulnerable people, including children, as well as in matters of homelessness, social care and mental health care. Others using the deal since 2016 also include Transport for London and HS2. Many of the “clients” of this service are special child care groups, but the documents state that the officers are expected to work in a number of local government services. The Immigration Service’s on-site service was reported by the Observer in early 2019. The revelation that the Home Office was “hiring” immigration officials to enforce the government’s hostile environmental policy was met with outrage by critics, leading to many local authorities officers and the Home Office to remove service information from government websites. However, the service continued to operate. Records released in response to FoI requests reveal that at the end of 2021, 12 local authorities plus HS2 and TfL were still working for immigration officials on behalf of the Home Office, including five where officers had been assigned specifically to child services. Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “Maintaining the safety of children is a top priority and there should be no action that would put it at risk. “The Ministry of the Interior must explain exactly what these officers are doing and how they can ensure that their work does not deprive vulnerable children of the support or protection they need.” Mary Atkinson, campaign manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: “It is chilling to hear that the government has established hostility to the services that families rely on for help and protection. Just like the hostile environment in healthcare, we know that this practice spreads fear in our communities and prevents people from seeking support. “It’s time for the government to end this dangerous and discriminatory approach – every resident should be able to trust local councils in times of need.” Colin Yeo, an immigration law attorney at Garden Court Chambers, said: “Councils are not legally obliged to work with immigration authorities in this way and it is frustrating to see them voluntarily create a hostile environment for vulnerable migrants. “Forced relocations and voluntary returns are very rare now, so all it does is force underground people who need help and support to stand on their own two feet.” A model agreement between the Home Office and local authorities seen by the Guardian reveals the extent to which immigration officials work in municipal services. The document, marked “officially sensitive”, states: “The officer will work in the following teams within the client’s organization. housing needs · homelessness and immigration group · services for children leaving care · adult social care · adult mental health services… the officer will conduct real-time immigration status checks to support client decision-making the individual or family for support or benefits and will advise on the implications of these status controls. “ The advice provided by the immigration officer includes providing information on people’s right to work and their suitability for municipal services. Under the “no use of public funds” policy, people who do not have the right to stay in the UK do not have access to a range of public services, such as housing. The officer is also there to advise on “voluntary returns”, according to the document, according to which people return to their country of citizenship. The local authorities who placed immigration officers in the child services were Enfield, Sutton, Thurrock, Slough and Barnet. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST At the end of 2021, the 12 local authorities that still had immigration officers working with them on behalf of the Home Office were: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Enfield, Essex, Greenwich, Hertfordshire, Hillingdon, Slough, Sutton, Thurrock, and Newham. A Home Office spokesman said: “Local authorities can seek specific support on immigration-related issues with specific advice where needed, but this is voluntary and aims to help vulnerable migrants, especially unmarried mothers and families with young children. children, to resolve their status. It is commonly used to help those in need access appropriate support. “Individual decisions are made by local authorities and not by immigration staff, and to suggest otherwise is wrong.”
