London, Nov.9 (ANI): Taliban terrorists may have been allowed to slip into Britain unhindered because of the ruling Labour party's open-door immigration policy, a British Home Office report has revealed.

According to a report in the Daily Express, border officials have been encouraged to "take risks" when processing migrant applications.

A Home Office document released under Freedom of Information laws reveals that staff have been told to make minimal checks on hundreds of thousands of newcomers.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "This is fast turning into a major political scandal. To most people, the idea that Government ministers and officials could take a high- risk approach to handling immigration applications will be beyond belief."

"To then try to cover up what they had done is nothing short of disgraceful. Immigration will always be something which should be treated carefully and sensitively. But more and more evidence is emerging that this Government has abused the system for what appears to be party political purposes," Grayling added.

The latest row comes after Home Secretary Alan Johnson recently admitted Labour had mishandled border controls and struggled to cope with a surge in immigration.

The released letter showed ministers were told by the country's most senior immigration official that his staff were"encouraged to take risks" when granting visas, work permits and extended residency permission. (ANI)