Asylum chief quits Home Office as Labour attacks ‘chaos and confusion’ in department

Exclusive: Yvette Cooper says department is in ‘special measures’ after seeing three home secretaries within two months

The Home Office’s top asylum chief has quit amid mounting “chaos and confusion” over rapidly changing home secretaries, Channel crossings, and the troubled Rwanda deal.

Emma Haddad’s post as the director general for asylum and protection has been abolished following her resignation, The Independent can reveal.

Her responsibilities are being handed to the director general for “customer services”, who is also the director general of HM Passport Office and UK Visas and Immigration, and the registrar general for England and Wales.

News of the civil servant’s departure emerged after home secretary Suella Braverman quit this week (Getty)

The reason for Ms Haddad’s resignation has not been made public, but a source said it was “clearly not a happy departure”.

Some civil servants are concerned about the loss of her extensive experience amid the current political turbulence, which has seen two home secretaries depart in little over a month.

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said: “It has been clear for months that this is a Home Office in special measures.

“Three Tory home secretaries in months, backlogs across the department, asylum decisions halved, millions spent on a failing Rwanda scheme, and now the resignation of a top official. The Conservatives offer no stability, and it puts our country at risk. Home affairs is too important to be faced with such chaos and confusion.”

The borders watchdog this week criticised the approach to Channel crossings (PA Wire)

Ms Haddad, a civil servant for almost two decades, had been made the director general for asylum and protection in February 2021 and was responsible for implementing Priti Patel’s changes to the system as well as programmes for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.

Apart from a five-year spell in the Department for Work and Pensions, she has worked in the Home Office since 2009 – mostly in asylum – and previously advised the European Commission on migration. She has also written a book on refugee protection.

Ms Haddad’s profile was featured prominently on the Home Office website until 7 October, around a month after Suella Braverman’s arrival.

The Independent understands that Abi Tierney, the director general taking on Ms Haddad’s responsibilities, is well thought of inside the Home Office. She joined the civil service from the private sector, most recently Serco Health, in 2020, and some civil servants are concerned about her lack of experience in asylum.

Grant Shapps has been appointed home secretary but faces a series of challenges (PA)

A former Home Office mandarin told The Independent that asylum had not historically had a dedicated director general, and that the sector had been broken out of wider immigration because of its political significance and the workload generated by Channel crossings.

But he said it had always been separate from the Passport Office because of the different nature of the responsibilities it holds.

It is not clear whether Ms Haddad’s annual salary, of around £130,000 a year according to Home Office records, will be saved as a result of her departure, or whether Ms Tierney’s wage will be raised to reflect her wider role.

Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office permanent secretary, said: “I can confirm that Emma Haddad, director general for asylum and protection, is leaving the Home Office after 18 years in the civil service. She has been a dedicated public servant and we thank her for the passion, leadership and integrity she showed throughout her time in the Home Office.

“Abi Tierney, director general for customer services, has taken on Emma’s responsibilities.”

Following Ms Braverman’s shock resignation on Wednesday, Mr Rycroft emailed all Home Office staff saying he understood if they were unsettled.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Home Office is in ‘special measures’ (PA Wire)

The message, seen by The Independent, said: “We are delighted to welcome the new home secretary to the department and look forward to working alongside him on the government’s priorities.

“I know that another change of home secretary may be unsettling for some colleagues. But I am sure that all of you will continue to show the utmost professionalism in delivering the government’s priorities.”

Grant Shapps had been in office for less than a day when Liz Truss resigned as prime minister. Her resignation triggered a new Conservative leadership election that could see Mr Shapps removed in a fresh cabinet reshuffle.

It comes as four legal challenges relating to the Rwanda agreement remain ongoing, with no flights scheduled. A charter company dropped out of the scheme on Friday.

The government has changed its policy so that asylum applications from people who travel through safe third countries – like France – are now declared “inadmissible” for consideration, but the failure to replicate a pre-Brexit agreement with European countries has made it almost impossible to transfer them elsewhere.

A record backlog of claims awaiting a decision means that thousands of asylum seekers are in hotels because of insufficient Home Office accommodation, despite the government admitting that their use for unaccompanied children is illegal.

On Wednesday, the borders watchdog warned that a “crisis response” to rising Channel crossings had transitioned to a “business-as-usual operation” despite shortcomings in oversight and in the provision of key services.

“A disjointed response at day one or even week one could be excused, but at month 10 this is not acceptable,” David Neal said. “Senior leadership action is needed to unlock the sub-optimal ownership of this issue.”