Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

New Inspections scheduled for 2021-22 include:

‘An inspection of Border Force assurance’
‘An inspection of Intelligence’
‘An inspection of a small airport’
‘An inspection of a small seaport’
‘An inspection of the removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs)’

Published 23 July 2021

ICIBI Inspection Plan 2021-22
a. Completed inspections – reports awaiting publication:
 ‘An inspection of ePassport gates (June 2020-January 2021)’. Submitted 17
June 2021
 ‘Second annual inspection of “Adults at Risk in immigration detention” (July
2020-March 2021)’. Submitted 30 June 2021
 ‘A further inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme (3) (July 2020-March
2021)’. Submitted 15 July 2021
 ‘An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020-April 2021)’. Submitted 23
July 2021

b. Inspections begun in 2020-21:
 ‘An inspection of UKVI’s “Front-end Services”’
 ‘An inspection of Border Force freight operations’
 ‘An inspection into the use of contingency asylum accommodation’

c. New inspections for 2021-22:
 ‘An inspection of Border Force assurance’
 ‘An inspection of Intelligence’
 ‘An inspection of a small airport’
 ‘An inspection of a small seaport’
 ‘An inspection of the removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs)’
 ‘An inspection of the Satellite Tracking Service Programme’
 ‘Third annual inspection of “Adults at Risk in immigration detention”’
 ‘An inspection of Home Office Reporting Centres’
 ‘An inspection into the processing of family visas’
 ‘An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the higher education
sector’
 ‘An inspection of the UKVI Chief Caseworker Unit’
 ‘A further inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme (4)’
 ‘An inspection of Country Information – Ethiopia, Iran and Zimbabwe’
 ‘An inspection of Country Information – Thematic review of Statelessness’
 Re-inspections or unannounced inspections (topics and timings to be agreed)

David Neal writes:

Having consulted with the Home Secretary, I have published my first Inspection Plan, which outlines the inspections I will look to conduct over the course of this financial year. For completeness, the Plan also includes reports that are with the Home Secretary awaiting publication and inspections that were started in 2020-21 and will report shortly.

My predecessor’s Plan has now largely been delivered, and I have been allowed free rein of topics to inspect. Since my appointment, on 22 March 2021, I have consulted widely with ministers, officials and external stakeholders to inform the design of the Plan and my decisions on new ways of working.

I intend to introduce different types of inspections to deliver a flexible and relevant programme, with increased reach across the areas I am mandated to inspect. I intend to pilot these changes immediately. As the year progresses, I will continue to refine the subjects under inspection as well as conduct short-notice inspections in response to intelligence and changing circumstances.

I intend to commission a piece of analysis after the summer which will inform my 3-5-year inspection programme, re-balanced across Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, Asylum and Protection and UK Visas and Immigration. That strategic inspection programme will be published in 2022, after consultation with the Home Secretary.

In line with the UK Borders Act 2007, it is also open to the Home Secretary during the course of the year to commission me to carry out an inspection on any topic.

David Neal, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, July 2021

The plan is here ICIBI Inspection Plan 2021-22