Home Office staff member arrested for suspected immigration offences and conspiracy to steal

A member of Home Office immigration staff has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of immigration offences.

The official was later detained again alongside three other members of immigration staff on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to steal. The four suspects were held on 6 December by the Home Office Anti-Corruption Unit, which has the same powers of arrest as police constables.

The arrest in relation to immigration offences, first reported by The Sun, was confirmed by the Home Office on Thursday. All four members of staff detained on December 6 have been released pending investigation and immediately suspended, according to the department.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “On December 6, the Home Office Anti-Corruption Unit arrested four members of immigration staff on suspicion of misconduct in public office and conspiracy to steal. One officer arrested as part of the conspiracy had previously been arrested and bailed on immigration offences.

“We expect the highest standards of our staff. As soon as we are made aware of allegations of wrongdoing, they are rigorously investigated and we do not hesitate in taking decisive action.”

The Sun reported that the man, thought to be in his late 30s, was arrested for allegedly being an illegal migrant. He reportedly arrived in the UK around 20 years ago as a teenager from the Balkans, and won the right to remain and work in the UK. Now Home Office officials are probing whether he put the correct country of origin on his paperwork to stay in the UK. At the time, many people from Albania said the were from Kosovo, after Tony Blair’s government intervened following the invasion by Serbia.

The government is facing increased pressure to deal with rising migration, with the number of Channel crossings this year exceeding 40,000 - up from 28,526 in 2021. Determined to tackle the issue, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced recently that “enough is enough” as he laid out plans to bring down immigration - which included a vow to clear the UK’s backlog of asylum seekers by the end of 2023.

This includes the controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, as well as potential proposals automatically declining claims from so-called safe countries such as Albania. A NationalWorld investigation found 27% of Home Office modern slavery victims are from Albania.