Revealed: UK Border Agency deports one in three illegal immigrants

London, April 23 (ANI): The UK Border Agency, the organisation responsible for policing immigration law, could land in problems after figures revealed that less than one in three illegal immigrants caught last year had been deported.

The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information rules, reveals that out of 21,298 immigrants caught in Britain only 6232 have been returned to their countries in the same year, Daily Mail reports.

It has also been revealed that unapproved relaxation of passport controls has led to about 500,000 passengers, who have come on Eurostar trains, enter the country without being checked on the lists of suspected terrorists and criminals.

The figures have shown that the biggest group of illegal migrants who have successfully evaded deportation during the year, are from Pakistan, other countries included Iran, India, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Failure to ensure the rapid deportation of illegal immigrants has come after a standoff between Home Secretary Theresa May and the European Court of Human Rights over terror suspect Abu Qatada.

"It should be noted that removals are hindered by barriers such as outstanding appeals, documentation issues, and subjects absconding," a spokesman for the UK Border Agency said.

The agency has already been criticized this month after it was shown that more than one in five foreign criminals are still in the country despite deportation orders against them. (ANI)