Lords to question Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on the UK's asylum system
On Wednesday 10th July the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee will question David Bolt, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, as part of its inquiry investigating the future of UK-EU asylum cooperation.
In 2016, the Chief Inspector reviewed the UK's handling of refugee family reunion which was prompted by concerns about the efficiency and fairness of the Home Office's management of these applications. The Chief Inspector found that the Home Office was too ready to refuse applications where it judged that the applicant had failed to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the eligibility criteria. He made ten recommendations, emphasising the importance of handling family reunion applications not just efficiently and effectively, but thoughtfully and with compassion.
The Committee has heard that there are ongoing concerns about the efficiency and the administration of asylum procedures in the UK. The Committee will therefore ask the Chief Inspector if the Home Office has made any progress in implementing the recommendations made in his recent reports, and address other issues such as the readiness of Border Force to deal with the impact of a ‘no deal' Brexit.
The evidence session will begin at 10:40am in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords. Other questions the Committee is likely to ask include:
- What is your assessment of the effectiveness of the integration support available to people who have been granted asylum in the UK?
- Is there evidence to support that refugees resettled under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme receive better support than those who make their first claim for asylum in the UK?
- Are you concerned that Brexit will affect UK-France border cooperation?
