This document was archived on 31 March 2016

Working with the UK Border Agency and

archived This document was archived on 31 March 2016 Working with the UK Border Agency and Border Force

UKBA works with key partner organisations Important facts Background to address key threats to the UK. These are the threats from: Controlling migration On 1 March 2012 Border Force was split from UKBA to become a separate law • terrorists; The is responsible for controlling enforcement command, led by its own migration to the UK, through the work of Border Force, Director General, and accountable directly to • criminals enabling illegal which applies immigration and controls on Ministers. through fraud, forgery or other passengers arriving at the border, and of the UK Border organised attempts to cheat the Agency (UKBA). UKBA UKBA will protect the border and ensure that immigration system; Britain remains open for business, checking • processes visa applications overseas and people travelling to the UK before they arrive • organised to the applications for further stay from those already through visa checks, intelligence and the use UK; and, in the country, including students, workers, of the e-Borders system. family members and asylum seekers; • a crisis in another country that could At an operational level, Border Force ports lead to false or unfounded claims for • processes citizenship applications; and have local arrangements with the police, in asylum alongside legitimate refugee particular Special Branch, and, in Northern claims. • takes enforcement action against those found Ireland, the C3 Ports Policing Branch, for to be in the UK unlawfully. closer working and joint activity at the We continue to take tough action against border. Representatives from the Border people who are in the UK illegally. We This represents a continuum of control activity that Force regions will also either sit on or prioritise enforcement against those who extends from UK diplomatic posts across the world participate in Regional Intelligence Units, threaten national security, have been through our air and sea ports and into our communities. which are generally made up of the police, convicted of serious crimes, or are involved the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), in activities such as drug trafficking and Partnership with our counterparts overseas supports our UKBA and Her Majesty’s Revenue and human trafficking. drive to undermine terrorism, fight smuggling and tackle Customs (HMRC). immigration crime. archived The public will see their police and crime commissioner (PCC) as someone who should be working closely with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that local communities are protected from the harmful effects of illegal immigration, illegal working and human trafficking. This document was archived on 31 March 2016 What is UKBA doing to remove How is the police and crime More information foreign national offenders? commissioner (PCC) likely to be A high-level memorandum of understanding involved with working with UKBA? was signed between UKBA and the police in UKBA is starting the deportation process earlier 2008, when the agency was created, to provide and removing foreign criminals quicker than ever. UKBA Crime Directorate is responsible for the a framework for joint police and UKBA action to We removed 4,500 foreign national offenders in investigation of organised immigration crime strengthen the UK border, and to enable better co- 2011. and the illegal importation of drugs, firearms, ordination on security arrangements at ports and and prohibited and restricted goods. These airports. We believe foreign criminals who pose a risk investigations are often conducted in partnership to the public should stay in detention. Foreign with police forces and SOCA, and they contribute In the UK, the UK Border Agency Crime Directorate criminals in the community awaiting deportation directly to reducing the harm caused by organised targets its resources where it can make the most have to report to the police regularly; meanwhile crime in the community. difference: against those involved in organised every effort is made to remove them from the immigration crime. UKBA is working with other law country. Organised crime, including organised agencies in the UK and abroad, to crime, is one of the key strands of national policing share intelligence, plan practical solutions and run How does UKBA work with other reflected in the strategic policing requirement. As joint investigations. agencies to tackle crime? the PCC must have regard to the strategic policing requirement in carrying out their responsibilities, Why does UKBA need to tackle UKBA plays a key role in supporting the joint they may need to work with UKBA partners in their immigration crime? effort by law enforcement agencies to tackle area when planning their use of police resources. organised crime networks operating for profit Illegal immigration puts pressure on public at a huge cost to our economy. By building our services, local communities and legitimate relationships with other law enforcement agencies, businesses. UKBA works to cut illegal exchanging information and pooling our resources employment, sham marriages and tackle operationally we can have the biggest impact on organised illegal immigration. reducing harm to individuals and our communities. We have partnership agreements in place with Illegal working undercuts wages and can exploit the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), vulnerable workers. Every year we impose civil SOCA and HMRC. There are agreements in place penalties on hundreds of companies that fail to between the Home Office’s Crime Directorate and carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff. other law enforcement partners at each air and sea port. There is an established ACPO migration UKBA works closely with other government leadarchived for the police at assistant chief commissioner departments, including the Department for Work level. and Pensions (DWP), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and HMRC to withhold There are many examples of immigration crime from illegal migrants the benefits that legal UK teams working closely with police colleagues on residents are entitled to. investigations in areas such as sham marriage, human trafficking and bogus colleges.