Commenting on the publication of his Inspection Plan for 2022-23, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration David Neal said:
I have today published my second Inspection Plan, outlining the work that I intend to carry out over the upcoming year. For completeness, the Plan also includes reports that are with the Home Secretary awaiting publication and inspections that were started in 2021-22 and will report shortly.
I am grateful to the ministers, officials and external stakeholders with whom I consulted while developing this Plan, which includes a range of topics from across the Home Office's immigration, asylum, nationality, and customs functions.
My programme for 2022-23 will build on themes that have emerged from, and return to some of the areas examined in, the inspections that I have conducted over my first year in office. The Plan includes a small number of inspections that were originally planned for 2021-22 but whose commencement was delayed in order to accommodate late priority additions to last year's programme. At a time of great challenge and change, I intend to retain the capacity and flexibility to launch inspections into emerging areas of interest or concern. In line with the UK Borders Act 2007, it is also open to the Home Secretary to commission me to carry out an inspection on any topic during the course of the year.
I look forward to working closely with the Home Office to deliver this programme and to driving improvements in the operation of the UK government's border and immigration functions through independent scrutiny and objective, evidence-based recommendations.
David Neal
Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, April 2022
