**Organizational Structure and Functions**:
– The Home Office is led by the Home Secretary and supported by the permanent secretary.
– It comprises eleven directorates, including Immigration, Border Force, HM Passport Office, Immigration Enforcement, and UK Visas and Immigration.
– Responsibilities include immigration, security, law and order, overseeing policing, fire and rescue services, Border Force, visas and immigration, and the Security Service (MI5).
– Border Force controls migration at ports and airports, HM Passport Office provides passport services, Immigration Enforcement enforces immigration law, and UK Visas and Immigration processes visa applications.
– The Migration and Borders Group is responsible for immigration policymaking.
**Financial Overview**:
– In the financial year 2022-2023, the Home Office had a total budget of £20.3 billion.
– Spending by directorate varied, with the Public Safety Group receiving the highest allocation.
– Other significant allocations went to Migration & Borders, Homeland Security Group, and Borders & Enforcement.
– Various directorates received allocations for resource and capital expenditures.
**Ministerial Responsibilities**:
– Home Office ministers include Yvette Cooper, Dan Jarvis, and Seema Malhotra.
– Each minister has specific responsibilities such as security, countering illegal immigration, legal migration and the border, crime, policing and fire, and victims and safeguarding.
– The Home Secretary oversees all Home Office business and the ministerial team.
– The ministers’ portfolios cover various areas like counterterrorism, immigration policy, crime reduction, and victim support.
**Historical Background and Recent Incidents**:
– The Home Office was formed on 27 March 1782 by renaming the Southern Department and retains functions like regulating British Summer Time.
– Recent incidents include the Windrush scandal, which started in 2013 and resulted in the resignation of the then Home Secretary in 2018.
– The scandal led to a compensation scheme for affected British citizens.
– The Public and Commercial Services Union announced a strike in 2012 over jobs and pay, which was called off after the announcement of 1,100 new border jobs.
**Controversies and Criticisms**:
– The Home Office has faced criticism for mishandling immigration cases, lack of commitment to equality, and the hostile environment policy.
– Treatment of Windrush immigrants has been condemned, and the EHRC report highlighted failures in equality duty.
– Concerns about data protection compliance have been raised, including a data breach in the compensation scheme and court criticism on immigration cases handling.
