Senior police officer Bas Javid, brother of former home secretary Sajid Javid, has been appointed director-general of Immigration Enforcement at the Home Office.
Mr Javid is currently a Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police, and has previously held key positions at Avon and Somerset Police and West Midlands Police.
He will take up his new role in November and will be tasked with the operational response to immigration offending while collaborating closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the police and Border Force.
Mr Javid said: “Protecting the integrity of the UK’s immigration system is vital, so it is an honour to be appointed to this important role.
“I am excited to begin leading a group of dedicated, hard-working and talented public servants to ensure we uphold our rules and laws.”
Bas brings a wealth of law enforcement experience and will further ramp up our efforts to tackle immigration offending, as the British people would expect— Home Secretary Suella Braverman
According to the Home Office, immigration enforcement visits are at their highest since 2019 and are up by almost 50% on last year.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “Immigration abuse is a scourge on our society and I will leave no stone unturned in clamping down on this illegality.
“Bas brings a wealth of law enforcement experience and will further ramp up our efforts to tackle immigration offending, as the British people would expect.”
Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft also welcomed the appointment, saying he looks forward to welcoming Mr Javid to the Home Office and working alongside him to “tackle illegal migration, which is the top priority for the department”.
Mr Javid’s role as Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Met involves high-level responsibilities, including overseeing specific operational areas, contributing to strategic decision-making, and holding a critical position in the force’s chain of command.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight in February 2022, Mr Javid admitted racism was a problem in the country’s largest force and also acknowledged “people who have racist views and are racist” were among the force’s staff.
However, he denied the Met was a “racist organisation”.
Mr Javid was also responsible for professional standards in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by serving officer Wayne Couzens.
His new appointment coincides with the latest arrivals appearing to take Channel crossings to more than 100,000 since 2018.
PA news agency analysis of Government figures since current records began on January 1 2018 showed that, as of Tuesday, 99,960 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey.
And RNLI lifeboats were spotted bringing dozens to shore on Thursday, meaning it is likely the milestone has been reached.
An eyewitness said there appeared to be more than 40 people brought ashore on board two lifeboats, which had attended a dinghy out in the Channel.
