In line with his 2026–27 Inspection Plan, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has commenced an inspection of the Home Office’s pre-appeal review process. This is the process by which decisions appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) are reviewed by the Home Office before proceeding to the Tribunal for consideration. The inspection is likely to focus on asylum and protection appeals primarily, but evidence in relation to other types of appeals would be welcomed.
This inspection will examine the effectiveness of the pre-appeal review process with reference to
- the efficiency and effectiveness of the Pre-Appeals Review Unit (PARU) as a control mechanism
- the role of PARU as a facilitator and driver of improvement within asylum operations and policy
- the interface between His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Home Office.
The inspection is only interested in tribunal policies, processes and procedures, and access to legal aid, insofar as they impact the Home Office pre-appeal review process.
This call for evidence will remain open until 24 June 2026.
The Independent Chief Inspector invites anyone with knowledge and experience of the Home Office’s pre-appeals review process to submit evidence to inform this inspection and would be pleased to hear both what is working well and what could be improved. The ICIBI Inspection Framework will be used to assess the Home Office in this inspection.
The information you submit may be included 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 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 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 we process personal data submitted in response to a call for evidence can be found in the ICIBI privacy information notice available on the ICIBI website.
John Tuckett, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration
9 June 2026