Results of the annual ICIBI stakeholder survey 2022
皇冠体育app Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) conducted a survey to gather views on how it can better target inspections and how its engagement with stakeholders could be improved.
In response to the results of the annual stakeholder survey, David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector, said:
I welcome the responses to this survey and thank all those who took the time to contribute.
I am encouraged to find that stakeholders mostly find participation with the ICIBI worthwhile and are satisfied with their communication with my organisation.
Feedback indicates that there are concerns relating to the Home Office鈥檚 response to ICIBI recommendations. This is a concern of which I am aware and that I intend to explore further over the coming months.
Many suggestions were made for topics for future inspections, all of which have been noted and will form part of consideration for my 2023-24 inspection programme.
I would like to remind stakeholders that they are free to contact me at any time, either directly or through my inspectors.
Stakeholders who have previously engaged with the ICIBI through our forums, in interviews or by submitting evidence for an inspection were invited by email and through the ICIBI鈥檚 website and Twitter to participate in the survey.
皇冠体育app survey asked questions relating to stakeholders鈥� experiences of engaging with the ICIBI. It also asked for their views on inspection reports, effectiveness of recommendations, and new ways of working.
Thirty-seven stakeholders completed the survey, an increase from 22 in 2021. Respondents represented a range of organisations, including charities, trade associations, the aviation and maritime sectors, and local authority partnerships:
| Participant | Number of respondents |
|---|---|
| Charity | 18 |
| Other* | 6 |
| Trade association | 5 |
| Local authority partnership (e.g. regional strategic migration partnership), or devolved nation | 4 |
| Academic or researcher | 1 |
| Direct personal experience of Home Office鈥檚 border or immigration functions, e.g. EU citizen, asylum seeker, refugee | 1 |
| Trade union | 1 |
| Legal representative, firm or chamber | 1 |
| Legal representative, firm or chamber | 1 |
*Of those who selected other, respondents were:
- 3 from aviation sector
- 1 from the maritime sector
- 1 non-Home Office civil servant
Headline findings are as follows:
Engagement with ICIBI
Generally, scores indicated that stakeholders find engaging with the ICIBI worthwhile, with 60% of respondents using ICIBI inspection reports for advocacy or engagement with the Home Office, and 16% for information only.
Of 37 respondents, 29 (78.4%) were 鈥榲ery satisfied鈥� or 鈥榮atisfied鈥� with their communication with ICIBI over the past year, while 3 (8.1%) had not had any recent communication.
Inspection reports
Of 37 respondents, 33 (89.2%) said the following statement, 鈥淚CIBI inspection reports provide constructive challenge to the Home Office鈥�, either 鈥榝ully鈥� or 鈥榮omewhat鈥� reflected their opinion.
On whether 鈥淚CIBI inspection reports highlight good practice when it is encountered at the Home Office鈥�, 34 out of 37 (94.4%) said this statement 鈥榝ully鈥� or 鈥榮omewhat鈥� reflected their opinion.
On whether 鈥淚CIBI inspection reports address equality and diversity issues鈥�, 26 out of 37 respondents (70.3%) said it 鈥榝ully鈥� or 鈥榮omewhat鈥� reflected their opinion. This compares to 38.5% of respondents who were asked the same question last year, who either 鈥榮trongly agreed鈥� or 鈥榓greed鈥� with this statement.
Recommendations
Satisfaction in the Home Office鈥檚 responses to ICIBI reports had decreased since 2021.
Although 86.5% of respondents agreed 鈥榝ully鈥� or 鈥榮omewhat鈥� that recommendations are well focused, when asked whether 鈥淚CIBI recommendations are effective in driving change within the Home Office鈥�, only 20 out of 37 respondents (54%) said the statement either 鈥榝ully鈥� or 鈥榮omewhat鈥� reflected their opinion.
Just 8 out of 37 (21.6%) respondents believed the Home Office鈥檚 responses to ICIBI鈥檚 recommendations to be adequate.
New ways of working
ICIBI introduced new ways of working in August 2021, which included the commencement of shorter length inspections to complement the existing standard inspections, which last around 100 working days. 皇冠体育app introduction of these shorter length inspections was to enable the inspectorate to be more agile and responsive to emerging issues, such as the increase in migrants arriving by small boat, and the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
A further aim of the new approach was to increase the inspectorate鈥檚 output, to enable it to examine more of the Home Office鈥檚 operations and activity, in shorter timeframes.
Short inspections in particular focus on inspectors鈥� observations, while medium inspections focus on a combination of observation and evidence analysis. In both cases, the scope must remain focused.
皇冠体育app survey asked stakeholders whether the following statement, 鈥淚 support the new approach to inspecting鈥�, reflected their opinion. Of 37 respondents, 33 (89.2%) said this statement 鈥榝ully鈥� or somewhat鈥� reflected their opinion.
Looking forward
皇冠体育app responses to this survey will inform future stakeholder engagement and feed into our inspection planning. Work is already underway to follow up on feedback received.