The Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration releases three reports on the work of the Home Office
The Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, John Vine, yesterday released three reports on the work of the Home Office.
The 60-page report An Investigation into the Home Office's Handling of Asylum Claims Made on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation can be read here. The Home Office's response is published here.
An inspection of the Intelligence Management System is a 40-page report on the Home Office system to record and assess allegations concerning immigration and customs offences and can be read here. See here for the Home Office response.
Finally, A short-notice inspection of decision-making quality in the Paris Visa Section can be read here, and the Home Office response is here.
The Chief Inspector's report on asylum claims made on the grounds of sexual orientation was covered by the Guardian here.
In the report, the Chief Inspector found that the Home Office's guidance and training on asylum cases based on sexual orientation was concise and clear, and most asylum interviews complied with guidance, but the guidance was not being applied consistently and unsatisfactory questions were found in a sample of cases.
According to the Guardian, the report found more than a tenth of Home Office interviews of gay and lesbian asylum seekers include "intrusive or unsatisfactory" questions about their sex lives.
"Such questions are not acceptable and the Home Office must work to eradicate them. I did not, however, identify any direct correlation between inappropriate lines of questioning and the likelihood of a claim being refused", the Chief Inspector, John Vine, said.
He added: "I have recommended that the Home Office ensures that caseworkers do not ask sexually explicit questions, and equips them with the interviewing skills to cope professionally when sexually explicit responses are received."
The UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) called for the report to act as a 'catalyst for reform'.
Paul Dillane, UKLGIG Executive Director, said: "We welcome the Chief Inspector's report and his recommendations to the Home Office. The Chief Inspector found that stereotyping and inappropriate questions continue to occur and good policies, which we helped the Home Office develop, are not being applied consistently. The Home Office must take further action to improve asylum decision-making and ensure people whose lives are at risk because of their sexual identity are granted refugee protection in the UK."
For the report into the Home Office's Intelligence Management System, the Chief Inspector said he was pleased to find that the Home Office had acted on his recommendation to establish such a system, but he found more could be done to improve the quality of data entry and improve case management.
In the report into the Paris Visa Section, the Chief Inspector said, overall, he was very pleased with the decision quality and level of customer service he found. However, he said the Home Office must ensure that applicants are given clear information on how service standards are measured, so that they know when they can reasonably expect a decision.