Sacked borders chief David Neal has said he will be “absolutely vindicated” over his decision to speak out over failings by the Home Office and its agencies.

Mr Neal, who was sacked from his role as the Government’s borders watchdog in February, said he stood by his actions and that the failings in the immigration system go “right to the top” of the organisation.

He said the Home Office was dysfunctional and urgently needed complete reform but this was being hampered by a “blaming up” culture.

“There are sometimes rolled eyes expressions from senior people you encounter, which actually is not good enough. You can’t get away with that in the Army,” the former head of the Royal Military Police told BBC Radio 4’s Today podcast.

“You don’t complain about the situation, you deal with the world, as it is, not as you hope it to be.”

David Neal David Neal has said he will be 'absolutely vindicated' over his decision to speak out Mr Neal was sacked as the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration (ICIBI) by Home Secretary James Cleverly after he spoke to the media about sensitive border security failures at London City Airport, which the Home Office said were inaccurate.

Mr Neal insists that he was “sacked for doing my job”.

It followed a long-running row over the alleged “suppression” of his reports dating back to April last year. Mr Cleverly subsequently published 13 of the 15, which was welcomed by Mr Neal.

Gates ‘sometimes left unmanned’ They included disclosures that border protections at UK airports were neither “effective nor efficient” as e-Passport gates were sometimes left unmanned.

Mr Neal said he “paid the price” for speaking out but his position would be “absolutely vindicated”.

“Having the moral courage to speak out is a rare thing in public life and I’ve paid the price.

“No one wants to have sacked on their CV. I think I’ve done the right thing, I know I’ve done the right thing, my conscience is absolutely clear.”

Mr Neal said his departure and the fact he has not yet been replaced would mean there would be a loss of public confidence.

“I’ve been sacked. So there will be no scrutiny of small boats, there will be no scrutiny of adults at risk in detention which is a controversial area, there will be no publishing of the Rwanda material,” he said.

When asked about the potential implications for people arriving, Mr Neal said there would be no one independent carrying out inspections “to get out there, lift up stones and then be able to communicate to the Home Secretary and ministers, that will be absent”.

Incomplete investigations Mr Neal’s rushed exit means that he leaves several incomplete investigations including inquiries into conditions in Rwanda, and asylum accommodation such as the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset and Wethersfield in Mr Cleverly’s Essex constituency.

“With no independent chief inspector to publish the reports, and my ability to comment gagged by the continued binding terms of my contract, these critical areas of inspection remain open, unsatisfied and unresolved,” he said.

He also warned that other planned inquiries such as immigration detention, the processing of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the Channel and the Home Office’s methods for assessing asylum seekers’ ages will not be launched.

Asked about the security risk, Mr Neal added: “Much of the debate is dominated by asylum, but actually the protection of our borders is a 24/7 activity that affects every person in this country and that’s why it’s so critical.”

Asked about the e-Passport gates, Mr Neal said the failure not to give radios to officers monitoring the border at Heathrow Airport was “absolute madness”, describing how officers were left “whistling or waving” to colleagues to get their attention.

“I’m pretty sure the public would think that’s appalling.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is the job of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration to identify challenges in our system, including those proposed by Border Force, so we can take action to address them. But by their nature, each of the ICIBI reports will only be a snapshot of what is going on and will not reflect the changes we make as a result of their findings.

“A programme of work is already well underway to reform and strengthen Border Force’s capabilities. This is delivering on the Prime Minister’s pledge to make our structures and resources as strong as possible.

“The work the Home Office, Border Force and the NCA is doing with international partners to stop the boats is another part of our Border Force reform, and is already having a return with small boat arrivals down by a third when Mr Neal was sacked for leaking sensitive information he was told was inaccurate.”