The ICIBI has begun an inspection of the Border Force operation
to deter and detect clandestine entrants to the UK.
This inspection will focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of
the Border Force efforts to deter and detect clandestine entry to
the UK by means of concealment in vehicles and freight,
particularly at the juxtaposed controls in northern France
(Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk). It will include the
administration and effectiveness of the Clandestine Entrant Civil
Penalty Scheme and the Civil Penalty Accreditation
Scheme for lorry drivers and hauliers.
This call for evidence will remain open until 6 September
2024.
As Independent Chief Inspector, I am inviting anyone with
knowledge or first-hand experience of clandestine entry to the UK
by vehicle or freight, and of the measures employed to deter and
detect clandestine entrants, including of the Clandestine Entrant
Civil Penalty Scheme and Civil Penalty Accreditation Scheme, to
submit evidence to inform this inspection.
Evidence from those with knowledge and first-hand experience adds
value to every inspection, but particularly so here as
clandestine entry is by its nature a hidden activity and what is
known about it officially can only ever provide a partial
picture. I am therefore especially keen to receive as many
individual accounts and insights as possible to understand what
is working well and where improvements are needed.
The information you submit may be quoted in the final inspection
report, but it is the ICIBI's practice not to name sources and to
anonymise as much as possible any examples or case studies.
Please click here to email
your submission to the Independent Chief Inspector.
Please note: The ICIBI's
statutory remit does not extend to investigating or making
decisions about individual cases. This remains a Home Office
responsibility. However, the Independent Chief Inspector can take
an interest in individual cases to the extent that they
illustrate or point to systemic problems.
Data Protection
Information on how ICIBI will process any personal data provided
in response to this call for evidence can be found in
the ICIBI privacy information
notice.
David Bolt, Interim Independent Chief Inspector of
Borders and Immigration
