02 March 2010

Today I tuned into the Home Affairs Select Committee’s oral evidence session as part of its inquiry into the UK Border Agency, to which Runnymede submitted written evidence. Louise Perrett appeared today in front of the committee, who you may remember as being the whistleblower and former asylum caseworker who claimed there was a culture of hostility in the UK Border Agency Cardiff offices. Most shockingly, she claimed that officials took pride in refusing applications. Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Keith Vaz MP previously expressed concern surrounding these allegations, and in today’s session he asked Perrett to outline her claims in more detail. 

The committee pressed Perrett on the detail of her claims, with former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis MP arguing that the Cardiff office of the UKBA approves more asylum applications than many other branches. Perrett responded by saying that her criticisms focus on the culture of the organisation rather than the amount of applications approved – she also stressed that she thought Home Office training for case workers was adequate.

You can watch the full session here. John Vine, Chief Inspector of UKBA, and Lin Homer, chief executive of UKBA, also presented evidence later in the session. A full transcript should be available on the Committee website within approximately 2 weeks.