The requirement
GSA was asked to support the National Asylum Intake Unit (NAIU) with the screening of asylum applicants who had arrived in the UK by small boats across the English Channel. We sent highly capable staff with excellent interpersonal and risk management skills to conduct the initial migrant screening and administer cases on the Home Office’s IT systems.
The solution
GSA provided on-site, mobile and remote screenings every day. This involved the identification of vulnerable individuals, safeguarding, and national security risks. In addition to conducting screening interviews, we conducted a review of 44,000 cases to identify and correct any errors on the Home Office systems. This allowed for asylum decisions to be expedited, delivering huge savings and improving the welfare of asylum claimants. In March 2022, we also supplied staff at short notice to process visa applications for Ukrainian nationals following the country’s invasion by Russian forces. Within 48 hours, experienced GSA staff were deployed on site, fully covering the fixed terminals in Home Office buildings for late evening and night shifts.
The result
The team assisted in the development of efficient processes and training new Home Office staff in visa processing. Due to our deeply experienced staff, we were able to identify and support at-risk individuals including potential victims of trafficking. We also identified potentially serious criminals and were able to report this to the relevant Home Office department.
“Can I just say how impressed I have been with the management of GSA DQ colleagues within NAIU. They are always so approachable and easy to engage with. I continuously see proactivity, professionalism and excellent leadership from all, and I think we could learn a thing or two within NAIU from you guys. I can always rely on a regular report in terms of productivity and output.” Assistant Director.
“I want to add how impressive and grateful we have been to have GSA’s support. It has made a huge difference to the operations on the ground.” Home Office HMI “Thank you for the intelligence referrals to JDT over the past few weeks. Early analysis tells us that we are seeing high quality referrals from GSA. We are delighted, so please pass on our thanks to the team.” CIO Joint Debriefing Team (JDT).
