The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration announced on 24 September 2026 that, under his 2026–27 Inspection Plan, he had begun an inspection of the Home Office’s child safeguarding arrangements. The inspection examines how effectively and consistently those arrangements work across the migration and borders system, focusing on children’s initial encounters at the border, management of in-country referrals of children to the Home Office and onward referrals to statutory agencies, and sharing of safeguarding information within the Home Office and with external stakeholders.

Inspectors sought evidence on four cohorts: children arriving at an airport, seaport or by small boat; accompanied asylum seeking children; young people raising age disputes within an Immigration Removal Centre; and children encountered through Immigration Enforcement activity. Only evidence relating specifically to these points was to be used. The Chief Inspector said contributions might not be directly cited in the final report because of the shorter inspection format, and invited views on what is working well and what could be improved. The call for evidence was set to close at 23:59 on 15 October 2026.