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Written question asked by Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain) on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026. It was answered by Mike Tapp (Labour) on Monday, 15 June 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.


UK Border Force: Interviews

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum and immigration interviews conducted by Border Force, including asylum screening interviews and immigration enforcement interviews, are carried out (a) via video calling applications, including Microsoft Teams, with video enabled, and (b) via telephone-only calls.

Answer

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.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
8741
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Immigration controls Interviews Telephone services Microsoft UK Border Force Video conferencing
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk