HOME OFFICE minister Seema Malhotra has ordered the removal of UK government job advertisements for roles such as a balloon craft tutor, which were being offered to migrants held at a detention centre in London.
The intervention followed a report in The Sun newspaper highlighting job listings worth over £30,000 a year at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (HIRC).
The roles appeared on the official “Find a Job” government website. Malhotra said the outsourcing company responsible had been told to withdraw “unnecessary” positions.
Mitie, the agency contracted by the Home Office, said the jobs were part of its agreement to support the physical and mental wellbeing of detainees.
“We don’t believe all these roles are necessary and have told the Home Office to speak to Mitie to remove them,” Malhotra said.
One listing still online, with applications closing on September 21, is for a Hospitality and Floristry Tutor. The role involves promoting and delivering creative workshops in floristry, cake decorating, balloon craft, and other activities. Another advert seeks a Hairdressing Tutor to provide cutting, dyeing, and braiding services in line with industry standards.
The Sun report drew criticism from the opposition Conservative party, which accused the Labour government of mishandling illegal migration.
“The government has lost the plot. They’re so addicted to providing freebies that they’re even handing them out to foreign criminals when they’re about to be removed from the country. It’s insane,” shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick told the paper.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp added: “Labour are pouring taxpayers’ money into perks when every effort should be on deportations. Hiring gym managers and balloon craft tutors for people due to be deported is indefensible and must be stopped immediately.”
Migrants who enter the UK illegally, along with some asylum seekers, can be held at removal centres while awaiting deportation or a decision on their immigration claims. According to Home Office figures, around 1,808 people are currently detained across the UK.
Mitie defended the roles, pointing to a recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP). “The impact of these activities was highlighted in the HMIP report, which said they contributed to helping individuals manage the stresses of detention,” the company said in a statement.
Other vacancies at HIRC include a part-time Hindu Chaplain, responsible for providing worship and study opportunities, and maintaining a stock of religious artefacts to support detainees’ faith practices.
Detention Action, a charity advocating for asylum seekers’ rights, said the government had a duty to support detainees’ wellbeing.
“The government should only use immigration detention as a last resort, and for the shortest time necessary. They are failing spectacularly on both counts,” said James Wilson, the charity’s director.
“In the last year, the Home Office detained thousands of people for months or even years, and more than 60 per cent were later released. Until a time limit on detention is introduced, the government has a duty to support the mental health and wellbeing of the people it detains."
(PTI)
