LONDON – For the first time in its history, the UK’s intelligence agency,MI6, has invited application from the British-born children of migrantparents as it lacks black or other minority ethnic officers in its seniorand junior ranks.
Britain’s overseas spy agency has also launched a new recruitment campaignwith its first-ever television advertisement to attract more spies into thefold.
The agency associated with James Bond films has decided to become slightlymore flexible with its recruitment policy, allowing British-born childrenof migrant parents to apply for the first time in its history.
Until recently, the parents of all applicants had to have lived in the UKfor a certain number of years but that will now be changed to help MI6recruit a more diverse workforce.
Official data shows that there were no black or other minority ethnicofficers among the senior ranks and among non-senior employees theproportion was 6.8% as of March 2016.
“There is no standard MI6 officer: if you have what it takes then apply tojoin us. Our work is exciting, intellectually challenging and it matters,”said Alex Younger, the chief of MI6 known as “C”, who believes it is vitalfor his agency to reflect the diversity of the UK population.
“Regardless of background, if you have the skills we need and share ourvalues, I want you to consider a career in intelligence, in a service thatreflects today’s UK society,” he said.
The first-ever TV advert shows a shark circling an aquarium tank watched bya young child. As it comes back into vision he steps back and is caught byhis mother — the subtle message being that MI6 wants individuals who canread signals and act.
The advert, which is aimed at potential intelligence officers, has the tagline: “Secretly, we’re just like you.”
MI6 hopes the campaign will attract people from areas of society who wouldnot traditionally think of applying to work for the intelligence service.
The agency also revealed that it had seen a surge in applications followingthe deadly nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent and hisdaughter, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, in the town of Salisbury in March.
“We have had more highly motivated candidates come forward,” said an MI6recruitment officer.
Intelligence officers at MI6 are typically split into three categories —target identifying individuals who may be willing to provide information toMI6 as ‘agents’; case officers build and manage relationships with thoseagents; and requirements officers deliver and present the intelligence togovernment departments.
The starting salary for an intelligence officer is between £35,000 and£37,000. Those who pass the selection process, which can take a number ofmonths, then must clear national security vetting, which can take evenlonger.
While the traditional tap-on-the-shoulder recruitment approach continues,the agency is now keen to get more people applying via its website like anyother job.