Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

The role of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration was created to provide an independent, external assessment of the Home Office, both in the UK and abroad. The Chief Inspector is independent of the Home Office, and reports directly to the Home Secretary.

The role and its responsibilities

Individual cases or complaints are not handled by the Chief Inspector. The role is to review the Home Office and Border Force's procedures, such as:

• the availability of ways to make a complaint;
• ensuring that queries are responded to within published service standards; and
• ensuring that any actions taken to improve the organisation are effective.

The Chief Inspector reports on efficiency and effectiveness, with particular focus on:

• the consistency of approach within the Home Office and Border Force;
• the Home Office and Border Force's performance compared with other bodies carrying out similar ranges of activity;
• the quality of decision-making and the use of enforcement powers;
• the provision of information to the public, applicants and claimants;
• the treatment of individuals, including the handling of complaints; and
• how the agency meets its commitments on UK discrimination law.

Inspections of the Home Office

Inspections are intended to drive improvements in the Home Office and Border Force performance, and to identify and promote best practice.

The Chief Inspector adopts a variety of approaches to inspections, including:

• site visits;
• review of sample case files;
• interviews with staff, stakeholders and the public; and
• other methods such as 'mystery shoppers', as appropriate.

Inspections may be planned (from a published list) or unannounced.

Inspection reports

Following an inspection, a report is published identifying strengths and weaknesses. All good practice identified in reports becomes recommendations to be adopted by the UK Border Agency and Border Force. The Home Office and Border Force is expected to make an action plan to tackle any shortfalls identified by the report.

To view all the Chief Inspector's reports published prior to May 2010, and the Home Office's responses to them, see the UK government web archive.

The Home Office also provides regular updates to the Chief Inspector to demonstrate continuous development in meeting its challenges.

Inspection	Chief Inspector's report	Home Office response
An inspection of applications to enter and remain in the UK under the Tier 1 Investor and Entrepreneur categories of the points-based system	Inspection report: T1 investor and Entrepreneur categories	Home Office response to ICI Tier 1 report (PDF 139k)
Spot check visits to review progress made against previous recommendations	Inspection report: Spot check visits Jan-May 2013
An investigation into the progress made on legacy asylum and migration cases	Inspection report: An investigation into the progress made on legacy asylum and migration cases (PDF 390KB)	Home Office response: An investigation into the progress made on legacy asylum and migration cases (PDF 147KB)
An inspection into the establishment of the performance and compliance unit	Inspection report: An inspection into the establishment of the performance and compliance unit (PDF, 208KB)	Home Office response: An inspection into the establishment of the performance and compliance unit (PDF, 114KB)
A short-notice inspection of Birmingham Airport	Inspection report: A short-notice inspection of Birmingham Airport (PDF, 449KB)	Border Force response: a short-notice inspection of Birmingham Airport (PDF, 24KB)
An inspection of how the UK Border Agency and Border Force handle customs and immigration offences at ports	Inspection report: how the UK Border Agency and Border Force handle customs and immigration offences at ports, (PDF, 1.64MB)	Agency response: how the UK Border Agency and Border Force handle customs and immigration offences at ports, (PDF, 80KB)
Independent Chief Inspector's report on an inspection of applications to enter, remain and settle in the UK on the basis of marriage and civil partnerships	Inspection report: applications to enter, remain and settle in the UK on the basis of marriage and civil partnerships, (PDF, 1.17MB)	Agency response: applications to enter, remain and settle in the UK on the basis of marriage and civil partnerships, (PDF, 88KB)
An inspection of immigration detention casework	Inspection report: the effectiveness and impact of immigration detention casework, (PDF 572KB)	Agency response: An inspection of immigration detention casework, (PDF, 35KB)
A short-notice inspection of decision-making quality in thev Accra visa section	Inspection report: decision-making quality in thev Accra visa section, (PDF 764KB)	Agency response: A short-notice inspection of decision-making quality in thev Accra visa section,(PDF 174KB)
An inspection of Tier 4 of the Points Based System (Students)	Inspection report: Tier 4 of the Points Based System (Students), (PDF 1.42MB)	Agency response: An inspection of Tier 4 of the Points Based System (Students), (PDF 280KB)
An inspection of the UK Border Agency's handling of legacy asylum and migration cases	Inspection report: UK Border Agency's handling of legacy asylum and migration cases, (PDF 1MB)	Agency response: UK Border Agency's handling of legacy asylum and migration cases, (PDF 217KB)
A short-notice inspection of decision making quality in the Madrid visa section	Inspection report: decision making quality in the Madrid visa section, (PDF 774KB)	Agency response: UK Border Agency decision making in the Madrid visa section, (PDF 182KB)
A short-notice inspection of border security checks at Heathrow airport, terminals 3 and 4	Inspection report: Border security checks at Heathrow airport, terminals 3 and 4 (PDF 855KB)	Border Force response: Border security checks at Heathrow airport, terminals 3 and 4 (PDF 140KB, opens in a new window)
An inspection of the UK Border Agency Hampshire and Isle of Wight local immigration team	Inspection report: UK Border Agency Hampshire and Isle of Wight local immigration team (PDF 1MB, opens in a new window)	Agency response: UK Border Agency Hampshire and Isle of Wight local immigration team (PDF 136KB, opens in a new window)
A re-inspection of the UK Border Agency visa section in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad	Inspection report: UK Border Agency visa section in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad (PDF 1MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: UK Border Agency visa section in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad (PDF 207KB, opens in a new window)
An inspection of the UK Border Agency visa sections that process applications submitted in Africa: Nairobi, Abuja, Pretoria and the UK visa section (June 2012)	Inspection report: UK Border Agency visa sections that process applications submitted in Africa (PDF 3.15MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: UK Border visa sections that process applications submitted in Africa (PDF 317KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of border control operations at terminal 3 Heathrow airport (May 2012)	Inspection report: border control operations at terminal 3 Heathrow airport (PDF 1.36MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: border control operations at terminal 3 Heathrow airport (PDF 205KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of Gatwick airport north terminal (May 2012)	Inspection report: Gatwick airport north terminal (PDF 954KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Gatwick airport north terminal (PDF 154KB opens in a new window)
Asylum: A thematic inspection of the Detained Fast Track (February 2012)	Inspection report: Detained Fast Track (PDF 1.19MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Detained Fast Track (PDF 173KB opens in a new window)
An investigation into border security checks (February 2012)	Inspection report: border security checks (PDF 694KB opens in a new window)
Entry clearance decision making - A global review (1 December 2010 - 30 June 2011)	Inspection report: Entry clearance decision making - A global review (PDF 1.76MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Entry clearance decision making - A global review (PDF 167KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of the UK Border Agency visa section in New York (January - March 2011)	Inspection report: visa section in New York (PDF 1,015KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: visa section in New York (PDF 202KB opens in a new window)
A short notice inspection of a UK Border Agency arrest team (Bexley, Greenwich and Lambeth) (3 August 2011)	Inspection report: Short notice inspection of the arrest team (Bexley, Greenwich and Lambeth) (PDF 578KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Short notice inspection of the arrest team (Bexley, Greenwich and Lambeth) (PDF 163KB opens in a new window)
A thematic inspection of how the UK Border Agency manages foreign national prisoners (February - May 2011)	Inspection report: A thematic inspection of the management of foreign national prisoners (PDF 725KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: A thematic inspection of the management of foreign national prisoners (PDF 197KB opens in a new window)
The use of country of origin information in deciding asylum applications: a thematic inspection October 2010 - May 2011	Inspection report: The use of country of origin information in deciding asylum applications (PDF 533KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: The use of country of origin information in deciding asylum applications (PDF 196KB opens in a new window)
Inspection of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland: border operations (August 2010 - January 2011)	Inspection report: Scotland and Northern Ireland border operations (PDF 529KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Scotland and Northern Ireland border operations (PDF 170KB opens in a new window)
Inspection of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland: countering abuse of the common travel area (August 2010 - December 2010)	Inspection report: countering abuse of the common travel area (PDF 502KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: countering abuse of the common travel area (PDF 167KB opens in a new window)
Inspection of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland: representation at first-tier appeals in Scotland (August - November 2010)	Inspection report: representation at first-tier appeals in Scotland (PDF 164KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: representation at first-tier appeals in Scotland (PDF 562KB opens in a new window)
A short-notice inspection of a UK Border Agency arrest team (Croydon) (8 February 2011)	Inspection report: Croydon arrest team (PDF 344KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Croydon arrest team (PDF 166KB opens in a new window)
Preventing and detecting immigration and customs offences: A thematic inspection of how the UK Border Agency receives and uses intelligence (October-December 2010)	Inspection report: preventing and detecting immigration and customs offences (PDF 506KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: preventing and detecting immigration and customs offences (PDF 232KB opens in a new window)
A short-notice inspection of decision making quality in the Istanbul visa section (24 and 25 November 2010)	Inspection report: decision making quality in the Istanbul visa section (PDF 456KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: decision making quality in the Istanbul visa section (PDF 185KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of the UK Border Agency visa section in Amman, Jordan (August - October 2010)	Inspection report: visa section in Amman, Jordan (PDF 208KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Inspector report into the visa section in Amman, Jordon (PDF 553KB opens in a new window)
A thematic inspection of the point-based system: Tier 2 (skilled workers) July - August 2010)	Inspection report: Tier 2 (skilled workers) (PDF 652.01KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Tier 2 (skilled workers) (PDF 217KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of the visa section in Guangzhou (May - August 2010)	Inspection report: visa section in Guangzhou (PDF 1.03MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: visa section in Guangzhou (PDF 196KB opens in a new window)
Local immigration teams: the change management process (May 2010)	Inspection report: local immigration teams (PDF 1.35MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: local immigration teams (PDF 160KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of border control at Manchester Airport (May 2010)	Inspection report: border control at Manchester Airport (PDF 1.06MB opens in a new window)	Agency response: border control at Manchester Airport (PDF 168KB opens in a new window)
UK Border Agency's operations in the North West of England - inspection of the civil penalties compliance team - illegal working (March - April 2010)	Inspection report: agency inspection of North West civil penalties compliance team (PDF 296KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: agency inspection of North West civil penalties compliance team (PDF 164KB opens in a new window)
UK Border Agencys operations in the North West of England - command and control unit (March - April 2010)	Inspection report: North West command and control unit (PDF 182KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: North West command and control unit (PDF 165KB opens in a new window)
UK Border Agency's operations in the North West of England - an inspection of Nationality Group: the management of applications for British Citizenship (March - May 2010)	Inspection report: management of applications for British Citizenship (PDF 159KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: management of applications for British Citizenship (PDF 192KB opens in a new window)
Independent chief inspector's report on the risk and liaison overseas network (RALON) in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (January - April 2010)	Inspection report: RALON in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (PDF 523KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: RALON in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (PDF 204KB opens in a new window)
Inspection of entry clearance in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad (January - May 2010)	Inspection report: entry clearance in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad (PDF 627KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: entry clearance in Abu Dhabi and Islamabad (PDF 209KB opens in a new window)
Loughborough reporting centre: unannounced inspection (January - July 2010)	Inspection report: Loughborough reporting centre (PDF 163KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Loughborough reporting centre (PDF 445KB opens in a new window)
Family removals: a thematic inspection (January - April 2010)	Inspection report: family removals (PDF 420KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: family removals (PDF 181KB opens in a new window)
An inspection of the UK visa section: Pakistan settlement applications (January - April 2010)	Inspection report: Pakistan settlement applications (PDF 501KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Pakistan settlement applications (PDF 198KB opens in a new window)
Inspection of UK Border Agency operations in Wales and the South West (November 2009 - January 2010)	Inspection report: Wales and South West (PDF 394KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: Wales and South West (PDF 188KB opens in a new window)
Lessons to learn: the UK Border Agency's handling of complaints and MPs' correspondence (October 2009 - January 2010)	Inspection report: handling of complaints and MPs' correspondence (PDF 479KB opens in a new window)	Agency response: handling of complaints and MPs' correspondence (PDF 180KB opens in a new window)