A further 5,000 jobs are set to be axed at the UK Border Agency over the next four years, its chief executive said today.

Lin Homer said 1,700 job losses had been instituted so far this year but thousands more could go as the agency, which is responsible for securing the British border and controlling migration, makes budget cuts of about 20%.

Homer told MPs the 1,700 job losses so far were a "combination of natural wastage and voluntary redundancies" but 5,000 more were set to go out of a staff of almost 24,000.

"My hope and expectation is that we can continue to do that in an orderly way."

Giving evidence to the Commons home affairs select committee, Homer said: "We have made 1,700 reductions this year. We've been able to achieve that by a combination of natural wastage and voluntary redundancy. And we anticipate making about another 5,000 reductions over the period of the spending review.

"I think probably a few less each year than we've had to make this year."

Homer added that the agency's support services, which account for about 10% of its budget, are facing cuts of about 35%, while frontline services will face cuts of 20%.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/09/uk-border-agency-axe-jobs