“We have established a strong co-operative agenda with FCO which makes excellent use of each department’s skills and expertise and creates a strong cross-government partnership.”
Lin Homer, Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA)
Migration is a huge social and political issue. Since taking over the FCO’s migration portfolio in June 2007, I have travelled to several migration hotspots and regularly raise migration issues with my ministerial counterparts. I have seen at first hand the vital role the FCO plays in achieving the Government’s wider migration objectives.
The FCO is at the heart of the Government’s joined-up approach to migration. In June 2007 the FCO and Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) launched the Government’s new international migration strategy Managing Global Migration, which underpins targeted, practical co-operation with key countries as well as activity in international fora. Subsequently the FCO, BIA and DfID agreed to set up a new, enlarged Returns and Re-integration Fund for 2008/09, which will expand the work we can do overseas.
Managing migration is an essential FCO service, and with the tools and relationships in place, I expect we will make an even bigger contribution to the migration agenda in 2008/09. Similarly, our visa sections will continue their tremendous work to process visas efficiently for genuine applicants.
Dr Kim Howells
Minister of State
Managing migration and stronger borders
At home and overseas the FCO has been pursuing its objectives on managed migration with foreign governments and other stakeholders. These include developing the new points-based system for entry into the UK. The new system is designed to make it easier for the UK to attract the skills that our economy needs. For all those who want to come to the UK to work or study, and who qualify, the new system will be easier to use.
We have also worked closely with BIA to develop a visa waiver test to decide when we should impose or remove visa requirements for non-European Economic Area countries.
The FCO took part in the Prime Minister’s review of UK border arrangements in October 2007 and we will continue to try to make sure that the UK achieves a proper balance on border control – by strengthening our security while welcoming genuine travellers. In November 2007 the Prime Minister announced the creation of the UK Border Agency. From April 2008 this new Home Office agency will take on the work of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), and UKvisas, and the border work of HM Revenue & Customs to create this new Home Office agency.
Asylum and refugees
The Government is committed to offering protection to genuine refugees and to increasing its efforts to deter and return those without a legitimate claim. In 2007, using its knowledge of individual countries, the FCO contributed to 62 of BIA’s country of origin reports. These reports provide a basis for making decisions about asylum claims.
We also contributed to BIA country assessments for non-suspensive appeals (NSA). (These are appeals that can only be made from overseas as the claim is probably unfounded.) In July 2007 a further ten countries were added to the NSA list.
The FCO has also provided information to support the Government in asylum and immigration tribunals and in European legal cases. This work should help to improve the speed with which the Government processes asylum claims and help BIA staff and judges distinguish more easily between well-founded claims and bogus claims.
Enforcement and returns
Effective bilateral and multilateral co-operation on returns is central to delivering the Government’s migration objectives. In 2007/08 we:
- supported BIA in exceeding the target of 4,000 for returns of foreign national prisoners
- established an overseas network of (currently 12) migration delivery officers, covering Africa, Asia, the Far East and the Caribbean, to promote compliance with UK migration law and identify sustainable arrangements for returns (these are arrangements that can be kept going over a long period)
- supported BIA in negotiations on new bilateral return and readmission arrangements, and reviews and renewals of memoranda of understanding on returns with a range of countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas
- together with BIA, secured a new agreement with the Chinese Government on the return of Chinese nationals illegally in the UK
- used the Migration Fund to finance sustainable arrangements for returns and to reduce illegal migration
- agreed a new joint Returns and Re-integration Fund with BIA and DfID to improve support in this area next year and beyond and
- worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other key stakeholders on a new assisted voluntary returns programme, better tailored to countries and individuals.
International co-operation
The FCO works closely with European partners and the European Commission to strengthen EU activity on migration and promote clear and consistent UK and EU policy. For example, the UK led in supporting a successful first EU mission to Addis Ababa in November 2007, which will lead to the establishment of a new co-operation platform to promote managing migration and related development issues.
We remain involved in the Euromed process. This is a key forum between the EU, North African and Middle Eastern countries, which examines a range of issues, including migration. In November 2007 we succeeded, for the first time, in delivering a joint statement covering action against illegal migration in North Africa and the Mediterranean.
The FCO’s co-operation with France and Belgium is central to tackling illegal immigration across the Channel. Our embassies worked closely to strengthen joint controls at the new Eurostar terminals at St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International at the end of 2007.
The FCO co-operates with international organisations and agencies, such as the IOM and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on migration and we were actively involved in the first Global Forum on Migration and Development, which took place in July 2007. We are working to make sure that this helps states to find co-operative means to manage migration more effectively.
The Migration Fund
In 2007/08, the Fund financed 48 projects globally. Examples of how the Fund has made a difference include:
- building capacity to manage migration in West Africa and elsewhere, including providing technical assistance, such as methods for detecting bogus travel documents
- delivering targeted information through regional campaigns in Asian countries, highlighting the dangers of illegal migration and
- helping host governments to fund projects such as reception centres for returnees.
Building on the success of the Migration Fund, from April 2008 the FCO will take the lead in managing the improved and expanded Returns and Re-integration Fund (with our partners BIA and DfID).
UKvisas operations
Approximately three-quarters of the world’s population need a visa to come to the UK. During the last year, UKvisas processed over 2.75 million applications and refused around 20% of them. The visa operation is self-funding, and receives no support from the taxpayer for its operations.
“UKvisas, jointly managed with the Home Office, is a world-leading service with real innovation, driven by customer needs, as exemplified in New Delhi and Lagos where service quality and efficiency have improved significantly.”
Taken from the Cabinet Office Capability Review of the FCO in 2007
The visa operation delivers the overseas component of an end-to-end immigration system whose strategic objectives are to:
- strengthen our borders
- speed up asylum decisions
- ensure and enforce compliance with immigration law and
- boost the UK’s economy.
Globalisation has brought increasing threats to our borders, which include sophisticated attempts to abuse the immigration system, organised crime and terrorism. At the same time globalisation brings significant benefits and the UK must continue to attract those migrants such as workers, students or tourists who will boost the UK economy, as well as those who bring communities together through family visits and settlement. UKvisas is often their first point of contact with British officialdom and so it must welcome them and help them with their journeys.
UKvisas must therefore meet three challenges:
- to process high numbers of visa applications
- to keep out those individuals who might cause harm to the UK and
- to make possible legitimate travel in the best interests of Britain.
To deliver this service in 2007/08 UKvisas has done the following:
- Completed the global roll-out of the biometric programme three months ahead of schedule and several million pounds under budget (see Change in the FCO chapter).
- Delivered a global risk assessment capability: the overseas network of risk assessment units has been expanded to cover all high volume and high-risk posts, while the Risk Assessment Operations Centre based in the UK provides remote support for all low volume, low-risk posts.
- Built on the success of arrest programmes, by rolling them out to priority countries around the globe; there are currently programmes running in 13 countries and these are set to increase further, with an extended remit, throughout 2008/09.
- Increased training and worked with local partners and law enforcement agencies to improve forgery detection (in the past year, 12,633 fraudulent documents have been detected in Lagos alone).
- Introduced new arrangements with commercial partners to standardise and extend the network of visa application centres; there are now 95 visa application centres around the world, which handle just under 90% of all applications.
- Developed new services to provide the information customers need, in the most accessible format; this includes the new UKvisas website, which went live in March 2008, helpline services and local websites providing local information hosted by commercial partners around the world.
- Delivered on all three Public Service Agreements in 2007:
- 90% of straightforward visa applications were processed within 24 hours
- 94% of non-settlement applications requiring further enquiries were processed within 15 working days and
- 94% of settlement applications were assessed or interviewed within 12 weeks. - Answered over 18,000 letters from MPs and members of the public, responding to 88% within Cabinet Office targets. Also responded to over 52,000 e-mail enquiries.
- Begun work to reform our operating platform into a hub-and-spoke model, consolidating decision-making to improve quality, consistency and efficiency.
- Provided an online application facility (Visa4UK) which is accessible to 99% of our customers worldwide.
“UKvisas is, in my view, successfully maintaining a delicate balance between good service and adequate control. The major changes in application processes – dedicated application centres, a risk assessment basis for decision-making, and biometric data capture – all benefit the genuine visitor.”
Independent Monitor report for 2006/07, published November 2007
The points-based system
In February 2008 the first element (Tier 1 for highly skilled migrants) of the new points-based system was launched in the UK. It went live on 1 April 2008 in India and will be rolled out to the rest of the world during the summer. The system is based on objective, easily verifiable criteria. This makes it clearer, easier and more transparent for applicants, employers and educational institutions, while still maintaining a strong level of immigration control. Tiers 2 (skilled workers) and 5* (temporary workers and youth mobility) of the points-based system will be introduced in autumn 2008 and Tier 4 (students) will be introduced from early 2009.
* Tier 5 is for people who come to work in the UK for temporary periods and mainly for non-economic objectives such as cultural enrichment, youth exchange or experience or charitable work.
Marketing
Foreign students contribute an estimated £5 billion to the UK economy each year. As part of our efforts to encourage more foreign students to come to the UK, we have appointed student co-ordinators in China, India and Pakistan, and a student team in Nigeria. In China, a campaign to raise awareness about the visa application centre included running regular advertisements in major newspapers across 11 cities.
Lessons learned: improving forgery detection
The UKvisas Risk Assessment Operations Centre in London co-ordinates the worldwide exchange of intelligence between border agencies and individual posts. The centre identified the need for additional training and equipment to boost forgery detection and set up a service level agreement with the BIA National Document Fraud Unit to deliver this.
UKvisas delivered improved training to all regions of the world during 2007/08 (apart from South-East Asia, which will be visited in May 2008). Specialist equipment has been sent to posts and visits by specialist teams help identify forgeries. One visit led to an increase in forgery detections of 102% over a six-month period.
Posts in Accra and Lagos worked with the BIA National Document Fraud Unit to set up local forgery teams and to provide training and guidance within the visa section.
Cost benefit analysis: biometrics awareness campaign in China
Details: China is a key emerging market and is sensitive to changes in UK visa processes and policy. It was important that customers in China understood the benefits offered by the introduction of biometrics in October 2007.
UKvisas delivered a publicity campaign to inform key stakeholders, customers and the media about the changes. Roadshows took place in 17 cities across China, supported by partners, including the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and Visit Britain, to promote the UK visa application process.
Cost: UKvisas invested £35,000 in the roadshow.
Benefits: Over 200 representatives from the media attended the events, which generated free media coverage worth nearly £60,000. The roadshows were widely reported and succeeded in improving public perception and understanding about UK visas and education, business and tourism opportunities in the UK.