Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

It is not that we object to the extension of PACE to officers; it is that we are concerned that these officers should be in the position of police, which is effectively what they now are. PACE already applies to immigration officers, because they are given the power of arrest, and that is what will happen with these other officers. So there is a great extension in the number of those with the power of arrest and detention of people coming through the immigration and border system. If those powers are to be there, then PACE must apply, because PACE is the safeguard to ensure that people are properly dealt with and protected to some extent by a code of conduct and code of practice. This brings us back to an earlier amendment. We should have police embedded within the border agency so that we do not have to give police powers to other officials regardless of the role they are operating in. It is a great and worrying extension of police powers to other people. I think that we are in danger of removing the distinction between criminality and immigration control. I am sure that the Minister will explain the Government’s rationale. However, this means that we are extending—under previous clauses, I think—to immigration officers and to customs and revenue officers the power to arrest people. If the Minister had not produced this amendment, there is no doubt that someone else would have done. It is clear that we have to discuss the whole issue of PACE and where it applies. We are very uncomfortable about the extension of these PACE powers. I remain very concerned about the reasons given for extending them.