Submissions from those with first-hand experience of the asylum system should be emailed by 26 May 2023
David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI), put out a 'call for evidence' last Friday for a forthcoming inspection report looking at the Home Office's asylum casework system.
Neal said he would welcome evidence from those with first-hand experience of the asylum process in regard to the following areas:
- the efficiency and timeliness of asylum decision making;
- the Home Office's responsiveness to queries and challenges;
- the quality of asylum screening interviews, substantive asylum interviews and initial asylum decisions, including for asylum seekers who have protected characteristics;
- the impact of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on the efficiency and effectiveness of asylum decision making.
Any other points considered relevant to the Home Office's processing of asylum claims would also be welcomed, though Neal notes that the inspection will not focus on asylum accommodation, age assessments, asylum appeals or legal aid.
Anyone wishing to submit evidence should do so by email by 26 May 2023. See the ICIBI press release here for details of how to make a submission.
Neal's last inspection report of asylum casework was published in November 2021 and found inefficient workflow processes and an over-reliance on cumbersome Excel files contributed to the Home Office's failure to keep on top of asylum claims.
The ICIBI also released a new inspection report last week on the Border Force intelligence functions at the Humber ports. You can download the 113-page report here. David Neal noted that the Humber ports provide context for wider changes being made in Border Force intelligence at a national level.