We reported back in April on the Windrush review, which included a list of 30 recommendations aimed at changing Home Office culture. On 21 July 2020, the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, set out the action the Home Office is taking in response, ahead of a comprehensive improvement plan, which is due in September.

Key actions include:

• comprehensive training for everyone working in the Home Office to ensure they understand and appreciate the history of migration and race in this country
• greater emphasis on taking a more compassionate approach to individual applications, empowering decision makers to use their own discretion and pragmatism
• increased engagement with civil society and the public at an early stage to build evidence for policy, to improve openness to scrutiny
• introduction of diverse shortlists for senior jobs and specialist mentoring
• evaluation of the compliant environment policy and measures to ensure there are the right protections in place to protect against immigration abuse, whilst ensuring no one with a legal right to be here is wrongly penalised.

This article is from the July 2020 issue of Employment and Immigration Law Update, our monthly newsletter for HR professionals. To download the latest issue, please visit the newsletter section of our website. For further information please contact a member of Birketts’ Immigration Team.