Shabana Mahmood’s new unit in the Home Office to deal with small boats has still not been set up. Back at the start of September Guido reported that Shabana Mahmood was reorganising the Home Office to form a new “asylum taskforce.” Permanent secretary Antonia Romeo told staff:
“I have agreed with the Home Secretary and No.10 that we will establish a new Asylum Taskforce which, with support and resource from No. 10, MOD, MHCLG, and AGO, will be dedicated to delivering the Government’s commitment to exiting hotels and to reducing the supported population. Visas, Passports and Citizenship Services will now form a separate DG-led group… Simon and I are in the process of appointing a DG who will lead the Asylum Taskforce.”
Three months later Guido can report that the unit has still not been established. Working at a snail’s pace…
A Director General – Marianthi Leontaridi – was hired on 3 November on between £130,000 and £209,000. Leontaridi was Director General of Aviation, Maritime and Security Group in the DfT from June 2022 to November this year. Her time there is described as overseeing “decarbonisation, growth, safety and security policies across aviation and maritime, as well as wider national security and resilience policy and operations in DfT and sponsorship of the Maritime Coastguard Agency.” Each small boat migrant to be made carbon neutral…
The Home Office says its “Taskforce has not been completely set up” and there will not be a “fixed number” of staff working in it anyway. Asylum seeker hotel numbers have increased 13% since June. Clock is ticking…
