Corporate Services
020 7035 4848
2 Marsham Street
(switchboard)
London SW1P 4DF
www.gov.uk
Mr John Smith
request-234826-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
24 October 2014
Dear Mr Smith
Freedom of Information request: reference 33284
Thank you for your e-mail of 19 October 2014, in which you ask for information about
seized passports. Your request is being handled as a request for information under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.
It is not clear, from your e-mail, exactly what information you require. To help us to deal
with your request properly, I would be grateful if you could clarify it.
To enable us to establish the information you are seeking, please specify exactly what you
mean by the term ‘seized’ and, in particular, clarify whether the request concerns
passports ‘seized’ or those merely ‘held’ pending a resolution of an application.
In your request you also provided the reference number ‘017696259”. However without
context as to what this reference number refers to, we are unable to associate it with any
information which we may hold. Please provide more information as to what this reference
number refers to.
Once you provide this information, we will aim to send you a full response to your request
within twenty working days. If we do not receive clarification of your request within three
months from the date of this letter, we will consider this request to be closed.
Yours sincerely
M Riddle
Information Access Team
Switchboard 020 7035 4848
E-mail
xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Annex A – Original Request in full
I will like to know for the reasons of a joint legal action against yourselfs the number
foreigners that have had their passports seized by the Home Office and it's previous body
the UKBA from 1 January 2012 to present.
We will also like a breakdown of reasons for which the passports were seized and for how
long they have been kept by the Home office.
Under section 2 of the HOME OFFICE CIRCULAR 004/2014, you only have the power to
seize a foreigners passport if it is an invalid travel documents. With the type face
underlined making it the only grounds.
I will like therefore to know how many foreingers have had their passports or travel
documents seized under the category of invalid travel documents since 1 January 2012.
I will also like to know in evidence the examination procedure that is undertaken to confirm
the validity or otherwise of these passports (as it appears in most of the cases we are
handling, the home office just deicided it was invalid with no valid grounds).
Need I remind you that a passport with out a visa is not deemed invalid under the specific
acts.
I will also like to know why in the case of case ref: 017696259, despite the relevant
authority, being the Ghanaian embassy specifically writing to your end confirming the
validity of the Ghanaian passport in question, the home office has not immediately
released the passport in question as detailed in paragraph 4(1) and paragraph 18 of the
HOME OFFICE CIRCULAR 004/2014 the passport of the case ref in question has not had
it's validity confirmed by the letter from the Ghanaian embassy and further investigations
not conducted to confirm it's autenticity and immediately returned as instructed under
paragraph 18.