First impressions of UK?

[biggbn]

Rather incredible story here. Many think we are allowing, indeed, encouraging criminals into the country. Seems one of the first things immigrants encounter is...criminals.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/04/ho...

[Earthdweller]

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

[bloomen]

It's not really the type of job that attracts the cream of the crop, is it.

I assume everyone in this country is stoned unless proven otherwise with medical checks.

[bitchstewie]

Obviously it's indefensible and raises some quite legitimate concerns around safeguarding but I'd liken it to whether it's directly Tesco's fault when some agency security guard kicks the crap out of someone at the supermarket?

Much as I'd love to blame Patel or Braverman for it I'm not sure it's fair to do so.

[gregs656]

Sadly not that surprised. I think a lot of Brits are under the impression we treat foreign visitors better than a lot of other countries because they only ever experience entering the UK as a Brit.

[smn159]

bhstewie said:

Obviously it's indefensible and raises some quite legitimate concerns around safeguarding but I'd liken it to whether it's directly Tesco's fault when some agency security guard kicks the crap out of someone at the supermarket?

Much as I'd love to blame Patel or Braverman for it I'm not sure it's fair to do so.

I've been involved in doing due diligence on contract companies that we work with in the past. It's quite thorough and includes checking their vetting processes.

I'd say that the Home Office should legitimately take the blame if they've contracted stuff out to a bunch of minimum wage cowboys.

[bitchstewie]

smn159 said:

I've been involved in doing due diligence on contract companies that we work with in the past. It's quite thorough and includes checking their vetting processes.

I'd say that the Home Office should legitimately take the blame if they've contracted stuff out to a bunch of minimum wage cowboys.

If it turns out something has gone wrong in the vetting or recruitment process then absolutely yes that's fair.

I meant more like how if I randomly kick the crap out of a customer or pull out a bag of weed and tried to sell them some it seems a bit unfair to suggest my employer should have known given any checks they did would show I'm squeaky clean

[Evanivitch]

smn159 said:

I've been involved in doing due diligence on contract companies that we work with in the past. It's quite thorough and includes checking their vetting processes.

I'd say that the Home Office should legitimately take the blame if they've contracted stuff out to a bunch of minimum wage cowboys.

Background checks will be limited to a DBS basic check, maybe CTC? Or will they be enhanced? Would they even go so far as to do BPSS? I bet they're not doing any checks of their financial background, akin to SC...

There's plenty of people that are low level criminals that haven't got anything that would appear on a DBS.

[biggbn]

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Sorry, for me that is incredible. I'm no saint and not at all naive about the availability of drugs everywhere but you'd think with all the publicity about immigrants, individual criminals and criminal gangs would be a bit circumspect about such activities even temporarily! Prisons are even worse, and although these are private contractors they are working for the state so the buck DOES stop with whomever awarded contracts etc...

[skwdenyer]

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Which is madness. Why can’t Govt employ people directly, make them a uniform service & hold them to proper standards?

[biggbn]

skwdenyer said:

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Which is madness. Why can’t Govt employ people directly, make them a uniform service & hold them to proper standards?

You would think you'd learn from G4S prison contracts etc, wouldn't you? One wonders how these companies win these contracts?

[crankedup5]

biggbn said:

skwdenyer said:

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Which is madness. Why can’t Govt employ people directly, make them a uniform service & hold them to proper standards?

You would think you'd learn from G4S prison contracts etc, wouldn't you? One wonders how these companies win these contracts?

Try Carillion, if a Company like that can clean up with Government contracts it tells us all we knew already.

[Biggy Stardust]

crankedup5 said:

Try Carillion, if a Company like that can clean up with Government contracts it tells us all we knew already.

Err.... they went bust years ago.

[biggbn]

Biggy Stardust said:

crankedup5 said:

Try Carillion, if a Company like that can clean up with Government contracts it tells us all we knew already.

Err.... they went bust years ago.

Perhaps read up on why Biggy? Absolute shambles

[skwdenyer]

biggbn said:

skwdenyer said:

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Which is madness. Why can’t Govt employ people directly, make them a uniform service & hold them to proper standards?

You would think you'd learn from G4S prison contracts etc, wouldn't you? One wonders how these companies win these contracts?

The obvious answer is, of course, so they can pay them badly, replace them at will, and prevent problems with strike action.

If we're ever to make this country "great" again (if it ever was), we have to start with people taking pride in being public servants, and being treated well in return. We're in grave danger of slipping back to a much darker time in history - with democracy providing an illusory cover of acceptability.

[biggbn]

skwdenyer said:

biggbn said:

skwdenyer said:

Earthdweller said:

Not really incredible is it ?

These will be minimum wage security guards provided
by a hired security company .. Not HO or Border Force staff .. just some oik on a zero hours minimum wage contract trying to make a bit on the side

PS drugs are endemic everywhere

Which is madness. Why can’t Govt employ people directly, make them a uniform service & hold them to proper standards?

You would think you'd learn from G4S prison contracts etc, wouldn't you? One wonders how these companies win these contracts?

The obvious answer is, of course, so they can pay them badly, replace them at will, and prevent problems with strike action.

If we're ever to make this country "great" again (if it ever was), we have to start with people taking pride in being public servants, and being treated well in return. We're in grave danger of slipping back to a much darker time in history - with democracy providing an illusory cover of acceptability.

Wasn't it ever thus, only much more noticeable now?

[Biggy Stardust]

biggbn said:

Biggy Stardust said:

crankedup5 said:

Try Carillion, if a Company like that can clean up with Government contracts it tells us all we knew already.

Err.... they went bust years ago.

Perhaps read up on why Biggy? Absolute shambles

I worked for them for many years. I bought two houses on the back of dealing their yoyo-ing shares. I have a certain amount of knowledge of what went on in the firm.

Reading up isn't entirely necessary, thanks very much.

[gamefreaks]

I think people get the measure of the UK the moment they land...

Me. A long time ago... said:

Coming back to the UK though. What a fking disgrace. (Warning: May contain ranting.)

After landing in Birmingham, I really need a piss so I peel off to the toilets before immigration. The moment you get near, the smell hits you. Both toilets are blocked and overflowing with st and piss. The floor is an inch deep in raw sewage. Abort mission. I’ll wait.

Next stop immigration.
The automated e-passport scan does not work for me for some reason. (Worked fine in HK)
I go to one of the counters. Now we get to play 20 questions;

Where have you been?
How long were you there for?
Business or pleasure?
What is your birthdate?
Where were you born?

After a few more questions, he sighs, hands my passport back and waves me through. Everywhere else I’ve been, they take your passport, tap a few keys on the computer and then say ‘Welcome to xxxx’. Here it’s always miserable s.


Onto the carousel. I would call it a baggage carousel, but there’s no bags on it. Round and round it went. And round. And round. No bags.

Now bear in mind that it’s taken me 45 minutes already to get here since getting off the plane. The flight was a tiny little Embraer 190.

Another 30 minutes. Still no bags. Another 30 minutes. No bags. Surely, they can’t have lost all of them?!

Finally, nearly 2 hours after disembarking, the bags begin to appear...


Finally, I trudge to my car. It’s cold, I’ve overstayed my parking and there’s st on my shoes.

Welcome home.

[biggbn]

Biggy Stardust said:

biggbn said:

Biggy Stardust said:

crankedup5 said:

Try Carillion, if a Company like that can clean up with Government contracts it tells us all we knew already.

Err.... they went bust years ago.

Perhaps read up on why Biggy? Absolute shambles

I worked for them for many years. I bought two houses on the back of dealing their yoyo-ing shares. I have a certain amount of knowledge of what went on in the firm.

Reading up isn't entirely necessary, thanks very much.

Well your earlier comment seems spurious surely. Everyone knows they went bust and were hugely inept and inefficient yet still won government contracts, which was the point that was being made as I understood it? What were you trying to say?

Oh, and congratulations on one of the most PH answers I've ever read, you really are 'biggy' ain't ya?

Edited by biggbn on Saturday 5th November 16:30

[biggbn]

gamefreaks said:

I think people get the measure of the UK the moment they land...

Me. A long time ago... said:

Coming back to the UK though. What a fking disgrace. (Warning: May contain ranting.)

After landing in Birmingham, I really need a piss so I peel off to the toilets before immigration. The moment you get near, the smell hits you. Both toilets are blocked and overflowing with st and piss. The floor is an inch deep in raw sewage. Abort mission. I’ll wait.

Next stop immigration.
The automated e-passport scan does not work for me for some reason. (Worked fine in HK)
I go to one of the counters. Now we get to play 20 questions;

Where have you been?
How long were you there for?
Business or pleasure?
What is your birthdate?
Where were you born?

After a few more questions, he sighs, hands my passport back and waves me through. Everywhere else I’ve been, they take your passport, tap a few keys on the computer and then say ‘Welcome to xxxx’. Here it’s always miserable s.


Onto the carousel. I would call it a baggage carousel, but there’s no bags on it. Round and round it went. And round. And round. No bags.

Now bear in mind that it’s taken me 45 minutes already to get here since getting off the plane. The flight was a tiny little Embraer 190.

Another 30 minutes. Still no bags. Another 30 minutes. No bags. Surely, they can’t have lost all of them?!

Finally, nearly 2 hours after disembarking, the bags begin to appear...


Finally, I trudge to my car. It’s cold, I’ve overstayed my parking and there’s st on my shoes.

Welcome home.

You might have been happy had someone offered you a joint