Immigration trainer defends contract after Braverman orders review

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A training company with two directors belonging to a chambers that challenged the Home Office's Rwanda removals policy has spoken out after it emerged that Suella Braverman has ordered a review of its government contract.

HJT Training supports the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Home Office, in assessing the competence of immigration advisers and their knowledge of immigration law.

Two of HJT Training’s directors, David James Jones and Mark Symes, are barristers at Garden Court Chambers. Symes was part of Garden Court’s legal team that secured an injunction from the Court of Appeal on behalf of some of the asylum seekers due to be removed by the Home Office on a chartered flight to Rwanda in June.

Last weekend The Telegraph reported that Braverman instructed civil servants to carry out an ‘urgent review’ of HJT Training’s contract with the Home Office.

The Gazette asked if the review, which has been confirmed, was requested because some of the directors belong to Garden Court Chambers, which was involved in the Rwanda flight legal challenges. The Home Office said it would not be commenting further at this stage.

Speaking to the Gazette, HJT Training defended its contract.

A spokesperson for HJT Training said: ‘HJT Training has provided support to the OISC in assessing the competence of immigration advisers and their knowledge of immigration law. OISC is satisfied that the services provided by HJT Training meet the required standards for these assessments.

‘Our contract was awarded following an open competition conducted by the government. We pride ourselves on the academic excellence and professional independence of our examination team. We examine candidates by reference to the immigration laws as enacted by parliament and implemented by the Home Office.’

The spokesperson added: ‘Two HJT Training directors are specialist immigration barristers sometimes instructed by solicitors in leading cases due to their professional expertise. OISC found no conflict of interest with our work in assessing the competence and knowledge of potential immigration advisers.’

An OISC spokesperson told the Gazette that the commissioner’s role is to ensure high-quality immigration advice across the UK.

The spokesperson said: ‘OISC’s process of registering an individual or organisation as being fit to provide immigration advice involves a number of steps. One of these is assessing their professional competence and knowledge in immigration law. These assessments are carried out in part under contract by HJT Training, who provide exam questions and marking. The contract was awarded after an open competition via the government’s Crown Commercial Services. Other steps taken by the OISC include assessing the fitness and suitability of the individual advisers to provide advice. Organisations and individuals are required to re-register annually.

‘OISC is satisfied that the services provided by HJT Training meet the required standards to assist OISC in assessing candidates’ knowledge of immigration law. OISC does not regulate the professional activities of individuals at HJT Training and cannot dictate or control any other work they may undertake in their professional lives. Such work would be regulated by the Bar Standards Board or the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

‘OISC would be concerned if there were a direct conflict of interest between the individuals in HJT Training’s other professional work and their work in assessing the knowledge of immigration law of potential immigration advisers. To date no such conflict has been identified.’