MI5 faces backlash after restricting early recruitment sign-ups to BAME candidates
MI5 is encouraging BAME people to register their interest in an upcoming administrative role
MI5 is constraining its recruitment process to focus on hiring more people from a Black, Asian, or minority ethnic (BAME) background as it looks to have greater representation in the workforce.
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Britain's domestic intelligence agency is encouraging BAME people to register their interest in an upcoming administrative role and attend events to support their applications.
A note attached to the interest advert reads: "Please note that we are confining registrations of interest to these groups only, due to their current under-representation in our workforce."
It adds: "We value a culture where different insights, perspectives and experiences are welcomed – and where you’ll always be encouraged to contribute, shape our work and be yourself."
The Senior Admin Officer role will open on February 9, and will be open to anyone regardless of their ethnicity or background.
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The person hired into the role could find themselves "gathering information, writing reports, managing databases, arranging meetings and travel, or supporting intelligence operations".
They could be working across a number of departments such as HR, Finance, Records Management or Information Management.
The UK's spy agencies came under fire earlier this year after it opened up what was dubbed a "racist" internship that was offered only to young people from a "Black, Asian, mixed heritage or ethnic minority background and from a socially or economically disadvantaged background".
The summer intelligence internship has been running at MI5, MI6, and GCHQ since 2023 and helps to “increase diversity within our organisations”.
At the time, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "I understand the need to encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds, including under-represented minorities.
"But this is an overtly racist policy and it should be immediately discontinued. It implies it’s impossible for any white person to be deprived or deserving of assistance."