UK Border Force: Interviews
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is in place for Border Force staff conducting asylum and immigration interviews, including asylum screening interviews and immigration enforcement interviews, on the use of (a) Microsoft Teams, (b) other video calling platforms, and (c) telephone-only interviews.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Home Office uses professional interpretation and translation services to support asylum, immigration and wider operational processes. These services are delivered through centrally managed arrangements, including the Interpreter and Language Services Unit (ILSU), as well as through contracted suppliers.
Quality assurance and contract governance arrangements are in place to uphold standards, monitor performance and support continuous improvement. This includes defined internal standards and structured quality frameworks to identify errors and ensure service quality. Where concerns are raised, they are considered carefully and, where appropriate, investigated on a case-by-case basis. The Home Office is committed to ensuring that interpretation services meet appropriate quality standards across all delivery routes.
Data on the proportion of asylum and immigration interviews conducted by Border Force via (a) video call and (b) telephone-only where interpreters or translators are used is not held in published statistics. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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