Telegraph - UK: Immigration Officers Give up Hunting 10,000 Missing Asylum Seekers - Staff are not even checking last known addresses because it is “not a priority” and a “drain on resources”

Immigration officers have given up trying to find more than 10,000 asylum seekers who are missing in Britain, a watchdog has revealed.

Staff are not even checking last known addresses because it is “not a priority” and a “drain on resources”, the chief inspector of borders and immigration found.

Illegal immigrants have also been allowed to abscond after being released from custody because there are no beds available in detention centres.

And more than 30,000 failed asylum seekers are still in the UK more than two years after all appeals against removal were exhausted, the report said.

David Bolt, the chief inspector, delays in dealing with asylum cases made it more likely they would be able to stay in the UK.

His review of removals found 10,000 asylum cases where the main applicant and dependants, including children, were no longer in contact with the Home Office or had absconded.

But “while immigration enforcement teams could conduct residential visits to attempt to trace absconders they were reluctant to do so as this work was not a priority and was considered a drain on resources”, the report said. ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/12056660/Immigration-officers-give-up-hunting-10000-missing-asylum-seekers.html