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Judge orders inquiry after Zim asylum seeker gets job at UK Home Office
By Staff
Reporter
A
ZIMBABWEAN asylum seeker conned his way into getting a job in which
he processed dozens of immigration appeals for almost a year, a UK court
heard last week.
Eugene Tawanda Mazima, 24, was jailed for 12 months last Friday by the Leicester Crown Court for holding forged papers after he landed an administration job at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Service (AITS), having supposedly undergone background checks.
Madzima, who was well regarded by work colleagues, gave staff presentations and even helped train staff at Leicester's AITS - part of the Home Office's Ministry of Justice department.
The Zimbabwean’s con was not revealed until he tried to open a bank account at a Leicester HSBC branch in December last year.
He presented a forged Zimbabwean passport in the name of Nigel Mazima and gave bank staff a bogus address at Walton Street in the Leicester city centre which was found not to exist, said Meena Evans, prosecuting. In fact, he lives on London Road, Leicester.
Judge Hammond said the scandal was "staggering" and "beggars belief".
He added: "Why was he able to get a fulltime job with the Appeals and Immigration Tribunal Service, of all people, who are meant to be dealing with people seeking asylum?
"No proper checks were made and yet he must have been on their records.”
The judge also ordered an inquiry into Madzima’s claim that he was sold the fake passport by a London solicitor who handled his asylum claim in 2002 for £1000.
As no record exists of his asylum decision, the judge also demanded to know why the application had apparently never been processed. The court heard that Madzima and his mother came to the UK in 2002, after their home in Zimbabwe was destroyed during political unrest, and made a joint application to stay.
His mother was refused and left the country but there is no record of a decision on Madzima.
Judge Hammond said he was not recommending deportation because of the situation in Zimbabwe. A decision on Madzima's status will be taken later.
Jacqui Callam, defending said Madzima had "simply made up a National Insurance number" when he acquired the immigration service job.
She said he had worked hard and earned the respect of colleagues.
A spokeswoman for the Tribunals Service said checks had been stepped up in the department, and the situation was now under review.
She said: "Before he was employed, Eugene Madzima did undergo full pre-employment checks in line with civil service procedures at the time.
"From April 2007, enhanced checks were introduced, as they were across the civil service. Recruitment staff are given detailed advice on how to check the authenticity of documents. Following his admission of a criminal offence, Madzima's employment has been terminated.”
The opposition Conservative party called the situation “shambolic”.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "It is truly shambolic that in less than three months the Government has managed to employ illegal immigrants as security guards, cleaners and now as part of its training staff at the heart of the immigration system.
"The Government
waxes lyrical about cracking down on firms who employ illegal workers
but yet again it has failed to get its own house in order.”
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