The NAO said border staff cuts coupled with an over-reliance on the delayed computer system - dubbed the Immigration Case Work (ICW) programme - had hampered the service to the point where new workers were needed to plug the gaps:
In 2011-12, the Agency’s workforce reduced by over 1,000 more than planned, despite the fact that progress was slower than expected in the ICW programme and workforce modernisation at the border, and no Agency-wide skills strategy was yet in place. The result of this disconnect was, in some places, a dip in performance and the need to hire new staff or increase overtime.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) hopes to trim £350m in costs off its budget between 2011 and 2015. Part of that money-saving exercise involves cutting loose some 4,500 full-time employees as it relies more heavily on automated systems.
Source: The Register
