‘Outrageous’ text programme warns immigrants to leave UK or face arrest

For me this sounds like a huge waste of time and money by our Gov. The only benefactor will be the contractor that was handed this project, in this case it is "Capita".

You could barely make this stuff up. They are sending text messages to the phones of (they say) illegal immigrants, asking them to go home. .

*Raises hand. But surely if you have their mobile number you must have other details for them, in which case, why the need for texts?*

I could not make a lot of sense from this line either;

Another version states: “Our records show you may not have leave to remain in the UK. Please contact us to discuss your case.”

http://rt.com/news/outrageous-text-program-immigrants-uk-404/


Labour representatives and civil rights activists are up in arms over a United Kingdom Border Agency plan that has sent text messages to tens of thousands of suspected illegal immigrants, and others in error, warning them to leave the country.

The program, first revealed this week in the Guardian, has been undertaken by the contractor Capita and has already reached approximately 40,000 people. But the Labour Party has called the Home Office “shambolic and incompetent” after a number of people received the messages by mistake - including immigration lawyer Bobby Chan and civil rights activist Suresh Grover.

The message reads, “Message from the UK Border Agency: You are required to leave the UK as you no longer have the right to remain.” Another version states: “Our records show you may not have leave to remain in the UK. Please contact us to discuss your case.”

A spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said the PM “agrees with the principle” of sending such messages and acknowledged that the wording of the message has changed since the first texts were sent.

The campaign is ongoing and has cost the UK £40 million ($64 million). Hundreds of complaints have come in, partly because of messages that included smiley faces and wished immigrants a “pleasant journey.”

“It is one of various means the Home Office contacts people who may not have the right to remain in the UK,” the spokesman said. The Home Office declared it has a “right to enforce the rules.”

Yet Suresh Grover, founder of the Southall Monitoring Group which helps immigrants and their families, questioned why he was contacted at all.

“I was absolutely shocked and quite horrified to receive the text,” he told The Independent. “I thought it wasn’t meant for me. I came here with my parents in 1966, I was born in East Africa and have always had a British passport.”

He went on to describe calling the phone number included in the text and speaking to a Capita representative who pressed him to provide more information even after he said he has lived in the UK for 50 years.

“The more I talked to the woman the more angry I got,” Grover added. “She was asking for more personal information about me and was not telling me where she got my number. I’m not going to be giving them information I don’t think they deserve. I think it’s outrageous sending people random texts without knowing who they are sending them to.”

“I was angry but I was also bemused, because of the work I do,” he said. “But I think people who don’t work in this area may take them seriously and be worried they don’t have the right to live in the UK. It’s horrific.”

The Home Office has denied Grover was contacted at all and defended its position by saying: “We are taking proactive steps to contact individuals who records show have no valid right to be in the UK.” The department also said it contacted people via email but refused to comment on accusations that the method is contributing to an “atmosphere of fear,” as Bobby Chan has alleged.



http://rt.com/news/outrageous-text-program-immigrants-uk-404/

 

Wait, so they scare the living daylights out of people and even send the messages to the wrong people? I suspect a class action lawsuit will be filed in the near future.

It's things like this that reminds me what purpose a light, fluffy pillow can be used for. Hint, it isn't about sleeping, I'll tell you that much.

 

Of course they sent them to the wrong people.

It is a Gov and private contract project.

Attention to detail is not important, just the large contract. You will probably find that many politicians have shares in (or even a seat on the board of) the types of companies that they award the contracts to for these waste of money schemes.

 

Contractors will screw up like this just to look like they are actually doing something just to justify what their meat puppets send them from the treasury.

 

If your immigration papers are not correct, then a text message from a border agency urging you to get it fixed is a very good idea. So I see nothing wrong with this in principle. Whether it was executed right is another matter.

 

Like I say, it is a total waste of money. A gimmick that does nothing. If they have the mobile phone numbers for these illegals, it follows they must have other details. Visit them by all means. But spam texts? Just a nonsense that is.