The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has revoked more than 22,000 badges since January 2022 for ‘right to work’ reasons, according to a release by the regulator under the Freedom of Information Act.
The three main nationalities for having badges taken away for not having the right to work in the UK are (in order), Pakistan (a total of 9600 in the four and a half years), India (7800) and Nigeria (2900). ‘Right to work’ makes up 90 per cent of the reason for the Authority to have revoked a licence. The next largest category was 1065, for violent or abusive behaviour. Then came categories of ‘other’, sexual misbehaviour, drug misuse and dishonesty.
Other nationalities
Three further nationalities are in three figures: Bangladesh, Ghana and Nepal, totalling about 1250. This compares with a total of 450,000 licence holders, according to the latest SIA monthly statistics, for August. While that is a slight fall from a peak of around 500,000 SIA-badged early last year, that compares with 417,600 (to round the total to the nearest hundred) in May 2023. Those with badges of British nationality is lower; it was 256,800 in May 2023 and about 242,000 today. The rise in the SIA-badged in the early-mid 2020s is accounted for by Pakistanis (36,625 in May 2023, 70,000 now) then Nigerians (12,600 in May 2023 to 29,000 now) and Indians (nearly 17,000 in May 2023 and 20,800 now). The numbers with licences revoked due to no ‘right to work’ went up sharply in the early-mid 2020s too; see box right. As for who those with revoked badges are, possibilities include people arriving on a student visa and taking up a badge, to work for up to 20 hours a week while studying for a degree – and working after their course is done; and those with a social care visa, taking on security (and indeed other) work.
For the full figures see the SIA website.
