A SCOTS MP has told the Commons that almost a third of her constituency casework over the past four years is due to the “incompetence” of the UK Home Office.
And, during a debate on immigration, Alison Thewliss (pictured right), the SNP member for Glasgow Central, praised The National for highlighting the “terrible” decisions the department makes.
She outlined a catalogue of errors committed by the Home Office, including the loss of passports, a degree certificate and “endless” paperwork.
As a result, she said people who had visited before, without incident, were refused entry and had missed out on family occasions, such as wedding and graduations, due to the “inherent racism of the Home Office and its policies”.
Thewliss said it speared that the press was the way to go if people had a complaint about the Home Office.
She said: “I have good grounds to believe that cases that appear in the press are cases the Government will pay attention to and change their decisions.
“The Scottish media, the people at The National, the people at other publications in Scotland have a lot I have to be thankful for because they highlight time and time again the terrible things and decisions that this Home Office makes.”
However, Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said it was wrong to classify Home Office staff doing “difficult and stressful jobs” as being “uncaring or inhumane”, and added: “We are committed to improving the border immigration citizenship system, that is why we will continue to listen and consult with members across both sides of the House and stakeholders across a broad range of sectors.”
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