The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) has commenced a monitoring review of ePassport gates, examining:
- The role of the monitoring officer
- The delivery of training for front-line officers
- Recording of safeguarding concerns
The review will examine the Home Office's progress relating to previous recommendations from 'An inspection of ePassport gates (June 2020 - January 2021)', to:
- Deliver the Protecting the Vulnerable (PTV) training to all public-facing Border Force staff during 2021
- Deliver the classroom-based Behavioural Detection (BD) training to all roving officers
- Ensure that staff performing the monitoring officer role do so for a maximum of one hour at a time, in line with guidance
- Implement a system to record details when passengers are stopped due to safeguarding concerns, including the circumstances in which vulnerable passengers are identified, the role of the officer who identified the passenger and whether the passenger was eligible to use, or was trying to use, the gates
The team will visit East Midlands, London City and Stansted airports and will also issue a survey to Border Force staff.
Launching the review, David Neal said,
While this review was not included in my 2022-2023 inspection plan, the plan does include scope for re-inspections or unannounced inspections to reflect in-year developments and areas of emerging interest.
The inspection team anticipate reporting to the Home Secretary by August 2022.
David Neal
Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, July 2022
