Leaked documents reveal that the head of the Home Office division responsible for detaining and processing asylum seekers bound for deportation to Rwanda is considering staff reductions
following pressure from Jeremy Hunt.
Stuart Skeates, the director general for strategic operations at the Illegal Migration Operations Command (IMOC), informed colleagues in an email that recruitment had been suspended, and plans for staff cuts were underway to align with the chancellor's directives.
Surprisingly, IMOC, a pivotal component of Rishi Sunak's immigration strategy, has been instructed to reduce staff levels to pre-pandemic standards, signaling a shift from its previous trajectory.
Vacancies within IMOC have already been removed from the department's website, and pending job offers are now under urgent review, as per the leaked documents.
The decision has sparked astonishment among Home Office insiders, especially considering its timing, just ahead of the anticipated commencement of deportation flights to Kigali.
IMOC, established to enforce the Illegal Migration Act by processing and screening asylum seekers, plays a crucial role in the government's Rwanda deportation initiative, a cornerstone of Sunak's "stop the boats" agenda.
Skeates, who has been involved in small boat and migration issues since January 2022, expressed pride in the department's preparations for the upcoming deportation flights in his email. However, he noted the necessity of adhering to the chancellor's directives to reduce civil service headcount.
Acknowledging the impact on staff across all levels, Skeates announced a freeze on recruitment and a review of existing job offers.
The move aligns with Hunt's announcement of a civil service numbers cap last October, aimed at returning the civil service to pre-pandemic levels and driving long-term headcount reductions.
The 2023 Illegal Migration Act underscores the UK government's efforts to curb asylum seekers' Channel crossings, mandating the detention and removal of those arriving via this route.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the department's commitment to recruiting talent while adhering to headcount caps, ensuring efficiency, and delivering value for taxpayers. Photo by Steve Cadman, Wikimedia commons.