Key challenges for 'the toughest job outside Cabinet'

Immigration minister Des Browne opened his red box for the first time today - to face the toughest job outside the Cabinet. Here are the key challenges he faces:

How can you restore belief in a system which has been rocked by leaks, scandals and cover-ups?

Civil servants are aggrieved at being blamed for what has gone wrong, and ready to leak again. Mr Browne's opponents will remind everyone of the one-legged roofer at every opportunity. Public confidence in the security of our borders is low and falling.

How do you make the asylum and immigration system work?

Nobody knows how many people actually enter Britain every year - or how many stay illegally. Deportation and removals deal with at best 25 per cent of failed asylum seekers. Paperwork is still backlogged, and we now know checks were abandoned wholesale-to clear the system - creating what was in effect an open door.

How do you ensure asylum numbers continue to fall?

Asylum applications have halved from their historic high a year ago, but still represent 10,000 every three months. Agreement about European "asylum camps" is still not in place. Efforts to simplify appeals have stalled, and building of UK detention centres is far slower than planned.

How do you stop criminal gangs exploiting the system?

People smuggling is big business - worth perhaps billions each year. The new Serious and Organised Crime Agency won't exist until 2006.

How do you decide what to do about identity cards?

Home Secretary David Blunkett is pressing ahead with a controversial scheme which will place a huge administrative burden on the Home Office and cost the Treasury up to £4 billion. The Cabinet is divided and members feel the scheme - strongly supported by Beverley Hughes - was pushed through by sleight of hand. Its backers are convinced it will solve the immigration problem in one swoop. Critics admit abandoning it would be embarrassing, but point out that it would let officials focus properly on making the immigration system work.