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This inspection focused on how the route has been working since its launch, including the ability to rapidly scale up operations and learnings taken from, and into, other immigration routes.
Publishing the report, David Neal said:
I welcome the publication of this report, which looks at the efficiency and effectiveness of the Hong Kong BN(O) route.
The inspection found that the Home Office is performing well overall and has built a flexible, resilient, and engaged workforce. My inspectors identified good working practices and a customer service-focused approach amongst Home Office teams, however greater transparency in terms of published customer service data was required.
Most applicants undergo a fully digital experience and requirements for the route are relatively straightforward. The Home Office has learned lessons from the establishment of the European Union Settlement Scheme, although inspectors found that more could be done to capture best practice from the Hong Kong BN(O) operation for the benefit of future routes.
The use of multiple case working systems presented problems which affected the accuracy and timeliness of data collation and management information, and the Home Office should look to expedite the move to a single system to drive improvements.
I made three recommendations in this report. I am pleased that the Home Office has accepted all my recommendations and that work is already underway to tackle the issues raised
This inspection report was sent to the Home Secretary for publication on 11 July 2022.
Published 8 November 2022
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