David Bolt
Biography
David Bolt was appointed as interim Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on 24 May 2024 with effect from 3 June.
In 2022 he was appointed as an independent member of the Parole Board for England and Wales.
Mr Bolt served as the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from 1 May 2015 to 21 March 2021.
Prior to 2015, he spent five years as Chief Executive of the International Federation of Spirits Producers Ltd, which works globally to combat the counterfeiting of distilled spirits.
Between 2006 and 2010, he was Executive Director of Intelligence at the Serious Organised Crime Agency, with responsibility for knowledge management, tasking and co-ordination and covert collection.
Between 2001 and 2006, he was Deputy Director General at National Crime Intelligence Service, responsible for Corporate Governance and Strategic Intelligence. From 2001 to 2010, he edited the annual UK Threat Assessment of Organised Crime.
From 1976 to 2001, Mr Bolt was a member of the Security Service (MI5), serving in a range of operational and policy roles, from Executive Officer grade to Assistant Under Secretary (Director).
Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration
The UK Borders Act 2007 directs the Independent Chief Inspector to monitor and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of the immigration, asylum, nationality and customs functions carried out by the Home Secretary and by officials and others on his behalf, in particular:
- consistency of approach
- practice and procedure in making decisions
- the treatment of claimants and applicants
- certification under section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and asylum act 2002 (c. 41) (unfounded claim)
- compliance with law about discrimination in the exercise of functions, including reliance on section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976 (c. 74) (exception for immigration functions)
- practice and procedure in relation to the exercise of enforcement powers (including powers of arrest, entry, search and seizure)
- practice and procedure in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of offences
- practice and procedure in relation to the conduct of criminal proceedings
- whether customs functions have been appropriately exercised by the Secretary of State and the Director of Border Revenue
- the provision of information
- the handling of complaints, and
- the content of information about conditions in countries outside the United Kingdom which the Secretary of State compiles and makes available, for purposes connected with immigration and asylum, to immigration officers and other officials
Previous roles in government
-
Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration