The Home Office is one of the most important government departments, employing over 30,000 staff across the UK. Like every government department, it should work for all of us. It should make quick and correct decisions about people’s status, supporting people to get on with their lives here and become active members of their community. And it should be transparent and accountable.
But over the years we’ve seen a culture of hostility, dysfunction and inefficiency set in, including at the very top. Policymaking is centralised and chaotic, driven by political agendas rather than evidence, and decisions are often not open to scrutiny and review. No other developed country gives as much power to ministers to interfere in decision making or to bypass parliament and make immigration law themselves. And no other department is so hostile to criticism or feedback.
Operationally, cuts to funding and a lack of investment in training and support mean that caseworkers are overstretched…