Independent report

An inspection of the Home Office’s response to in-country clandestine arrivals (‘lorry drops’) and to irregular migrants arriving via ‘small boats’

This inspection examined the Home Office’s identification and handling of migrants first encountered away from a port of entry, having entered the UK concealed in a commercial vehicle, and those migrants seeking to cross the English Channel in ‘small boats’.

Documents

An inspection of the Home Office’s response to in-country clandestine arrivals (‘lorry drops’) and to irregular migrants arriving via ‘small boats’

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Details

The inspection focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of the measures the Home Office had put in place to respond to these events. This included:

  • an overview of efforts by Border Force to prevent clandestine departures from the European mainland, including through support and encouragement for European law enforcement and border security measures
  • the current response to ‘lorry drops’, including a review of the recommendations from the 2016 inspection report: “A short notice inspection of the Home Office response to ‘lorry drops’”
  • the response, since late 2018, to the arrival of migrants in small boats, including the impact on other previously planned activities and priorities
  • contingency plans for dealing with a surge in arrivals either via lorry drops or small boats or both

Updates to this page

Published 11 November 2020

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