GSD Raises Concerns Over Immigration Department Closure

The GSD has criticised the temporary closure of the Department of Immigration and Home Affairs following flooding, saying it raises questions about the building’s suitability.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

The GSD notes with alarm that the Department of Immigration and Home Affairs once again  had to interrupt its services to the public for a day, due to flooding. 

It will be recalled that the same thing happened in May this year and at the time the GSD  justifiably questioned how the operation of an important Government Department which  interacts on a daily basis with the public to deal with the registration of births, deaths, residency,  marriages etc., could have been closed for a whole day on a second occasion in this way. 

In its reaction at the time, the Government glibly responded to the concerns raised by the GSD,  suggesting that it all boiled down to a burst pipe and ignored the fundamental point about the  value for money concerns which arise.  

Damon Bossino said: “It is ironic and an embarrassment for the Government that it should  move one of its departments from a non-rent paying Government property to a privately owned  building – at an annual cost of £214,680 until 17 April 2032 - on the grounds that the new  premises would be of better quality and would not be suffering from water ingress issues to  then be afflicted by the same problem.”  

It is also incredible that the property which housed the Department of Immigration and Home  Affairs will now be refurbished for the purpose of the Mental Health Hub. It seems that what  was unacceptable for the Immigration Department is fine for the Mental Health Hub.  

There are another three Government departments in that same building at a total annual cost  of approximately £430,000. This recent episode raises the further question whether similar  issues are also impacting these other departments.