Latest news with #vetting
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
I checked Afghan papers. The MoD must come clean on vetting
The secret Afghan relocation scheme could 'cause quite a headache for the security services' because those brought to the UK may not have been fully vetted, a former military caseworker has claimed. Robert Clark, a former soldier and reservist who worked on the public Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) relocation scheme, said he had been told by people within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that there had not been full vetting of applicants who had been secretly brought to the UK. He said there would be national security questions for the intelligence services and police if there had not been the necessary checks to establish whether individuals had been radicalised or had terrorist connections. According to the Government, some 6,900 Afghans and their families were identified as eligible for the secret scheme after their details were leaked, putting them at risk of being killed by the Taliban. Around half have so far come to the UK, according to officials. However, the vetting claims have been disputed by ministers and Government officials. They said Afghans who came under the secret relocation scheme were subject to the same security checks as those who came through either of the two other public schemes run by the MoD and Home Office. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, told Times Radio: 'Anyone who has come into this country under any of the Government schemes that was under the previous government, and now from Afghanistan, is checked carefully for security, checked carefully for any of those sort of criminal records that would preclude and prevent them coming to this country.' He challenged Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, to provide evidence to support his claims that 'convicted sex offenders' were among those airlifted to the UK after the data leak. 'We run security checks about the backgrounds of those individuals and where they pose those sorts of threats, they're prevented from coming and denied access to Britain,' said Mr Healey. However, the Defence Secretary added: 'No doubt some of them have committed some offences and got into trouble [since arriving in the UK]. That's true right across the board.' "No doubt some of them have committed some offences and got into trouble." @JohnHealey_MP tells #TimesRadio Afghans coming under government schemes were checked carefully but he "can't account" for individuals being responsible for criminal behaviour since they have arrived. — Times Radio (@TimesRadio) July 16, 2025 Under the vetting process, any Afghans seeking refuge in the UK on the relocation schemes should be screened for serious and organised crime, as well as for any evidence of terrorist or extremist links. Afghans whose safety was put at risk by the leak were invited to apply for relocation to the UK under the secret scheme, and came via Islamabad, where security vetting was undertaken. Mr Clark, an Afghan war veteran who was a caseworker on the Arap scheme from September 2024 to February this year, said he did not know of any vetting failures related to it. The only exceptions were half a dozen young Afghan men under police investigation for sexual assaults or harassment after their arrival. However, he said he believed it was different for those who had come under the secret relocation scheme and were deemed to be at high risk. Mr Clark added: 'The only reason why they've come is because their details were leaked, i.e. they hadn't passed vetting. I'm also told they wouldn't have been eligible for whatever reason, whether it was vetting or tenuous links to the settlement scene itself. 'But they didn't get to that stage. They were just brought across precisely because, only because, their details were leaked. So it was a sense that we owe them a moral obligation, a duty of care.' Earlier, Mr Clark told Times Radio: '[That's] 6,900 people who wouldn't have been eligible here otherwise, except for the fact that personal details were leaked. And like I say, this is going to cause quite a headache for the security services, I'm afraid.' He said that criminal checks on Afghans were never 100 per cent guaranteed because many laws in the country were different. For example, sexual assault within marriage was not necessarily an offence.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Reform UK to introduce less stringent ‘common sense' vetting system for candidates
Reform UK has told its members it is introducing a less stringent 'common sense' vetting system for would-be candidates after complaints the previous checks were too strict, despite a recent series of controversies linked to the party. In a message sent to members and also posted by a regional party branch, Nigel Farage's party said the updated vetting was 'more proportionate than before and designed to strike the right balance between party reputation, individual freedom of expression and public confidence'. This new system would be seen as 'a blank slate', said the message to members, seen by the Guardian, adding: 'If you have previously failed vetting, you are strongly encouraged to reapply under the new standards.' Under the earlier regime, touted by Farage as the most rigorous vetting system by any major party, 'in some cases our standards and communication fell short of the mark', the message said, adding: 'We've listened, reflected and acted.' A message posted to Facebook by Reform's East Thanet branch in Kent indicated one reason for the change was a need to generate enough candidates. The message – later removed – said council byelections 'are frequent events as councillors retire or stand down – it is important that all branches have prospective candidates lined up ready to go'. While Reform has not previously set out its vetting criteria, beyond a ban on previous members of far-right groups such as the British National party, the message hints at a lowering of the threshold for concerns about controversial statements, for example on X or other social media. Before the general election last year the party disowned three parliamentary candidates already in place over comments they had made. One had made derogatory comments about the IQ of sub-Saharan African people, and another said asylum seekers arriving on small boats were 'scum'. After the election it emerged that one of the Reform MPs elected on 4 July last year, James McMurdock, had been convicted of assaulting his girlfriend 18 years previously. McMurdock voluntarily removed the party whip on Friday ahead of the publication of a newspaper story saying that before entering parliament he had taken out £70,000 in Covid loans for two companies that appeared to have no employees. Since May's local elections, where Reform won 677 seats and took control of 10 councils, a series of its councillors have been suspended or quit the party for reasons including one man who has appeared in court accused of making threats to kill his wife. While Reform has had to act at speed to recruit parliamentary and council candidates, Farage has argued that its vetting system was beyond reproach. 'We've been vetting, I bet, to a standard that no other party has ever done before for local council elections,' he told GB News in March. 'The reason is, I know we'll be held to a higher standard than all the others.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Reform UK was contacted for comment about the new vetting system. A Labour source said: 'Nigel Farage has consistently bragged about how brilliant he thinks his party's vetting is. 'Yet reams of Reform councillors and MPs have faced disturbing allegations. The Reform rap sheet reads jail time for assaulting a woman, alleged financial misconduct, and flirting with the far right. 'It's disturbing that Farage is seemingly looking to further water down Reform's standards. The public rightly expects the highest standards in public office. It appears Reform just aren't up to the job.' Antony Hook, the Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition on Kent council and member of the party's 'Reform watch' board, said: 'Reform must urgently clarify the situation. They have clear issues with candidate vetting at all levels, so the idea that their standards could be watered down further is shocking and very concerning. Inviting failed candidates to try again under lax rules suggests that they are either struggling to recruit candidates, or something more sinister.'
BreakingNews.ie
07-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
GRA criticises 'take in first, ask questions later' approach to Garda trainee vetting
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has criticised the 'take in first, and ask questions later' approach to admitting trainees at the Garda College. It comes after an Freedom of Information request, released to , revealed 76 trainees were rejected after first being admitted to the Garda College in the past year. Advertisement This occurred after a change to the rules after backlogs, which allowed applicants to be admitted to the Garda College in Templemore while their vetting was still ongoing. The change was made as some applicants had been left waiting months, or even years, to hear back regarding their vetting. The 76 trainees were "deemed unsuccessful" for "Vetting, Medical, Physical Competence Test and Drug test". In response to the story, GRA president Mark O'Meara told : "This is another example of a botched, failed and embarrassing answer to a serious problem with Garda recruitment and retention. Advertisement 'It was unsustainable to continue with the huge delays and backlogs in garda vetting of potential recruits which led to many applicants simply running out of patience and finding another career path. 'But the answer was to expedite the vetting process to help the recruitment process, rather than a 'take in first, and ask questions later' approach." Mr O'Meara added: "The GRA have previously raised concerns about any changes to the normal vetting process and this vindicates our position. 'This will disappoint and even enrage many serving members as it once again shows a clear lack of joined up thinking when tackling the recruitment and retention crisis.'
BreakingNews.ie
06-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
76 trainees rejected after first being admitted to Garda College
Seventy-six trainees were rejected after first being admitted to the Garda College in the past year. It comes following a change to the rules after backlogs, which allowed applicants to be admitted to the Garda College in Templemore while their vetting was still ongoing. Advertisement The change was made as some applicants had been left waiting months, or even years, to hear back regarding their vetting. The 76 trainees were "deemed unsuccessful" for "Vetting, Medical, Physical Competence Test and Drug test". Following a Freedom of Information request, a Garda statement issued to read: "Upon receipt, your request was forwarded to the Appointments section of An Garda Síochána who have advised that 76 Garda Trainee applicants were deemed unsuccessful in the past year for the following reasons Vetting, Medical, Physical Competence Test and Drug test." The system was changed in response to efforts to boost Garda numbers, which saw 2024 applicants admitted while their vetting is still ongoing. Advertisement Candidates from the 2022 and 2023 competitions who were left waiting months, and in some cases years, to find out if they were admitted have previously spoken to about their experience. One candidate who withdrew from the process said they feel Garda management is "making a total mockery of all candidates still waiting from 2022 and 2023". The Government has committed to recruiting 5,000 new gardaí over the next five years. Speaking after new members of An Garda Síochána were sworn in in January, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said: "My focus is on ensuring Ireland is a safer place for everyone. Making sure that An Garda Síochána is at full strength is a core part of that. This Government has made a commitment, and we will recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years."
ABC News
04-07-2025
- ABC News
Some NT childcare centres hiring staff without reference checks, director says
A veteran childcare centre director has spoken out about inadequate vetting of new workers' employment histories in the Northern Territory, which she says leaves potential misconduct unchecked. This week Victoria Police charged a 26-year-old childcare worker with more than 70 offences allegedly relating to eight children at a Melbourne childcare centre. The alleged offender, Joshua Dale Brown, is understood to have worked at 20 childcare centres in Victoria between January 2017 and May 2025. The allegations of child sexual abuse have left parents reeling, with some 1,200 children being recommended to get tested for sexually transmitted infections. In the Northern Territory, the director of the Territory Child Care Group, Sarah Lloyd, said there were gaps in the regulation of the NT's childcare sector, particularly around the vetting of workers when starting or changing roles between centres. Ms Lloyd said she was aware of recent examples in the Northern Territory where an employer had not attempted to conduct thorough reference checks for new staff. "It's more common than we would like to think," she said. Ms Lloyd, who has almost 20 years' experience in the sector, said early childhood employers in the NT must be required to follow industry guidelines for reference checks, with their most recent supervisors asked specific questions about disciplinary matters. "There is a lot of good material that's been produced for child-safe organisations where they go through steps, but it's not mandated that you have to [follow them], and it's not checked." she said. In response to the allegations in Victoria, federal Education Minister Jason Clare has said reforms to standardise Working with Children Checks across the country "can't happen soon enough". Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the NT government was "working through" the territory's childcare sector regulations and would support a move towards a national Working With Children Check (WWCC). "Everything at this point is on the table," she said. Janet Williams-Smith, the general manager of inclusion and early intervention at Early Childhood Australia NT, said the territory needed to prioritise a "reportable conduct scheme" that required childcare educators to report alleged worker misconduct. That scheme would be distinct from the NT's mandatory reporting laws, which compel members of the public to report any suspicions of child abuse or neglect to a child protection reporting line. "A reportable conduct scheme is whereby people working in early childhood education and care are obliged to report allegations of child abuse and child-related misconduct to bodies such as the Commission for Children and Young People in Victoria," Ms Williams-Smith said. Both Ms Williams-Smith and Ms Lloyd said the NT's current WWCC was useful only in the detection of a criminal history, and would not detect allegations of workplace misconduct or mistreatment of children. They both supported moves to speed up the development of a national register of early childhood educators. Ms Lloyd said the majority of educators were committed to children's wellbeing and best work practices, but needed to see improved pay and conditions and greater community support for their work. "There's room for improvement, as with any sector, but I think we just need to value those good educators and really support and promote the value that they really bring to people's families," she said. "Most people who work with children, work with children because they have a strong investment and leaning, almost a calling, to work with children. Most people don't do it for the money. "But we need to be much more explicit about our expectations of those people."
