The Home Office has confirmed the appointment of John Tuckett as independent chief inspector of borders and immigration – 19 months after predecessor David Neal was sacked.
Tuckett, who is a former Royal Navy submarine commander, had been serving as immigration services commissioner since 2019 but has stood down from that role to take on the post of ICIBI.
He takes over from David Bolt, who had been interim ICBI since June last year following Neal’s sacking for raising concerns about airport security in a national newspaper.
The ICIBI is a watchdog who monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK’s border, immigration and citizenship system, making recommendations directly to the home secretary. The government’s Plan for Change includes major reforms to streamline the immigration system and strengthen borders.
Confirming Tuckett’s appointment, immigration minister Mike Tapp said the new ICIBI brought with him “exceptional experience in public service leadership and organisational transformation”.
Tapp said those skills would "be invaluable as we secure Britain’s borders and reform our immigration system”.
Tuckett said he was “delighted and privileged” to be taking up the role of ICIBI and was “committed to providing robust, independent scrutiny of the UK’s border security and immigration processes”.
He added: “My priority will be to help ensure the immigration system works efficiently and effectively while upholding the highest standards of fairness and security.”
Tuckett’s appointment as ICIBI has been on ice for several months. He was announced as the government’s preferred choice for the £140,000-a-year role in January. The following month members of parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee endorsed his appointment – although they raised concerns about the fact that his main home is in Finland and suggested that remote working would not be appropriate.
The Home Office’s appointment announcement stresses: “The role will be conducted from the UK full time.”
Tuckett has held a range of public sector leadership roles since leaving the Royal Navy. He joined the NHS in 1991 and served as chief executive of a health authority, before becoming chief exec at Ministry of Defence agency Defence Medical Services.
He moved to the Home Office in 2004 and led the programme merging the Prison Service and Probation Service to create the National Offender Management Service – now HM Prison and Probation Service.
Tuckett subsequently spent five years at HM Treasury’s Office of Government Commerce, where he led reviews into some of the UK government’s largest and most complex change programmes, advising on how delivery and outcomes could be improved.
From 2015 to 2019 Tuckett was chief executive of the Marine Management Organisation.
The Home Office said the government is “in the process” of recruiting a new immigration services commissioner to replace Tuckett.