In October 2012, Capita Business Services was awarded a contract with the UK Border Agency to provide a range of and caseworking services.
It is vital that we contact people who no longer have permission to remain in the UK and facilitate their return home to maintain control over our immigration system.
Capita is working on cases in the migrant refusal pool (MRP) which consists of records of people who have applied to remain in the UK but been refused or had their leave curtailed. Capita will be contacting these applicants to establish their current circumstances and, where appropriate, inform them of the requirement to leave the UK.
Capita will typically be contacting foreign nationals who have entered the UK on valid visas and have subsequently been refused an extension of leave to remain, but evidence of their departure has not been confirmed.
Since October, Capita has been checking cases against the agency’s records to identify which individuals should be contacted. Capita will use various contact methods to establish an individual’s circumstances, including text message, letter, email and telephone.
Capita is contacting thousands of migrants every week, and while the vast majority have been identified correctly, in a small number of cases this might include people who are now legally in the UK. Their circumstances may have changed or updates on their case may not have fed through in time to prevent Capita’s contact. We believe it is right to enforce the immigration rules. Allowing people with no right to be in the UK to stay indefinitely undermines the immigration system.
We will continue to work closely with Capita to ensure the information they are using is as accurate as possible. If we receive evidence to show that an individual has valid leave or has left the UK we will update our records.
Anyone who is in the UK legally and has been contacted in error should contact Capita on 0844 3754 636 or email CapitaContact@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk so our records can be updated.
Link: Capita Business Services contacting overstayers in the UK
