Skip to main content
Guidance

Returns preparation: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on arranging removals for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters within the UK.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published:
3 November 2016
Last updated:
1 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated the voluntary and assisted departures guidance, a full list of changes can be found in the guide.

  2. Added Enhanced Voluntary Returns offer pilot: interim guidance.

  3. Guidance on enforced removals notice periods updated.

  4. Updated the arranging removal guidance to reflect changes to Home Office systems that have been replaced.

  5. Guidance on 'Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights' updated to reflect the correct template to be used in safe third country returns.

  6. 'Enforced removals: notice periods' updated to allow for discretion on a case-by-case basis on whether to cancel departure or proceed with removal where a further submission amounting to a fresh claim is made after service of the Notice of Departure Details (NDD) and the person is returning to a safe ECHR country.

  7. Guidance on 'Enforced removals: notice periods' and 'Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights' updated to change references to ‘charter’ and provide a definition.

  8. Arranging removal guidance updated to amend references to ‘charter’ (including a definition) and ‘Carson Wagonlit Travel’.

  9. Guidance on the safety of Rwanda updated; new guidance on removal of failed asylum seekers to Rwanda added; exchange of letters added concerning the interpretation of terms in the Rwanda partnership agreement between Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the British High Commissioner.

  10. The guidance "enforced removals: notice periods" has been updated. Updates to bring into line with and cross-refer to changes to Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights: in relation to enforcement of immigration removal and deportation.

  11. Updated "Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights" guidance, "Arranging removal" guidance, "Notification of special arrangements (court letter)" and added "Safety of Rwanda" guidance in light of the introduction of the Safety of Rwanda Act.

  12. Published new version of the voluntary and assisted departures guidance as links to Home Office guidance and other relevant webpages have been updated.

  13. Published voluntary and assisted departures guidance. This has been updated to amend references to ‘voluntary returns’ to ‘voluntary departures’ in line with the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, along with minor drafting changes.

  14. Updated to correct the initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal guide, so it now refers to ‘destination country’ rather than ‘home country’.

  15. Removal of 'Administrative removal: notification and implementation – interim guidance' and 'Suspension of enforced removal window' documents as they are no longer relevant.

  16. 'Initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal' updated.

  17. Updated family returns process guidance to incorporate updates in light of changes to section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 as amended by section 46 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

  18. Updated the documents 'Arranging removal' , 'Initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal' and 'Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights' in line with changes brought by section 46 of the Nationality and Border Act 2022. Added a new document: 'Enforced removals: notice periods'.

  19. Information on authority levels for service of a notice of liability has been removed from the Administrative Removal notification and implementation – interim guidance.

  20. 'Arranging removal' guidance updated (pdf).

  21. Added administrative removal: notification and implementation – interim guidance.

  22. Removed 'Returns: case consideration' and 'Returns preparation: referral and case assessment' documents as they are no longer relevant.

  23. Added Initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal.

  24. Updated guidance on judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights. Changes are detailed on page 4 of the document. Document 'Suspension of enforced removal window' temporarily removed pending update.

  25. Minor text change at pages 23 and 25 in 'Judicial reviews and injunctions' doc to link the special arrangements (charter flights) section to exceptions to standard notification of removal.

  26. 'Judicial reviews and injunctions' has been updated and 'Notification of special arrangements (court letter)' was added.

  27. New "removal/deportation of witnesses to deaths in detention-interim guidance" added.

  28. Voluntary and assisted returns guidance updated: review of references to EEA nationals to reflect changes to eligibility; review of references to Third Country Unit, inadmissible countries; changes to the structure and amount of reintegration support that is available for applicants.

  29. Updated judicial reviews and injunctions guidance.

  30. Updated the assisted and voluntary returns guidance with the latest version.

  31. 'Family returns process' updated.

  32. Replaced the 'Judicial review and injunctions' document with a new version.

  33. Updated voluntary and assisted returns guidance.

  34. Updated judicial reviews and injunctions guidance.

  35. Guidance on 'suspension of enforced removal window' updated.

  36. New voluntary and assisted returns guidance.

  37. Updated 'Judicial reviews and injunctions' document.

  38. Suspension of enforced removal window guidance added.

  39. Updated family returns process guidance update.

  40. Updated judicial reviews and injunctions.

  41. Updated guidance on arranging removal and judicial reviews.

  42. Updated judicial reviews and injunctions guidance.

  43. Removed the Member of Parliament (MP) representations document as this Arranging removal document has replaced it.

  44. Replaced the returns preparation with a new version.

  45. Updated family separations guidance.

  46. Guidance added on 'Judicial reviews and injunctions' and 'MP representations'.

  47. New arranging removals guidance.

  48. Updated family returns process guidance.

  49. Updated guidance: 'Family returns process'.

  50. New guidance on returns: case consideration.

  51. 'Family separations' updated.

  52. Guidance added on 'Returns preparation: referral and case assessment'.

  53. First published.

Documents

Arranging removal (accessible)

HTML

Arranging removal

PDF, 474 KB, 48 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Data sharing in enforcement cases: standards of operational practice

PDF, 172 KB, 31 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Enforced removals: notice periods (accessible version)

HTML

Enforced removals: notice periods

PDF, 390 KB, 57 pages

Enhanced Voluntary Returns offer pilot: interim guidance (accessible version)

HTML

Enhanced Voluntary Returns offer pilot: interim guidance

PDF, 137 KB, 4 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Family returns process

PDF, 479 KB, 39 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Family separations

PDF, 558 KB, 28 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal (accessible)

HTML

Initial consideration and assessment of liability to administrative removal

PDF, 564 KB, 59 pages

Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights (accessible version)

HTML

Judicial reviews, injunctions and applications to the European Court of Human Rights

PDF, 312 KB, 37 pages

Letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from the British High Commissioner concerning the interpretation of terms in the Rwanda partnership agreement (accessible)

HTML

Letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from the British High Commissioner concerning the interpretation of terms in the Rwanda partnership agreement

PDF, 65.9 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Letter to the British High Commissioner from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation concerning the interpretation of terms in the Rwanda partnership agreement (accessible)

HTML

Letter to the British High Commissioner from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation concerning the interpretation of terms in the Rwanda partnership agreement

PDF, 365 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Notification of special arrangements (court letter) (accessible)

HTML

Notification of special arrangements (court letter)

PDF, 88.1 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Removal/deportation of witnesses to deaths in detention - interim guidance

PDF, 228 KB, 11 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Removal of Failed Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

PDF, 263 KB, 20 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Safety of Rwanda

PDF, 290 KB, 21 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Voluntary and assisted departures (accessible)

HTML

Voluntary and assisted departures

PDF, 353 KB, 27 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on how staff prepare and arrange for a single person or a family group to be removed from the UK.

It also contains information on decisions to separate family members as a consequence of detention or removal.

Guidance in this section has been reworked into a new format and plainer language. Not all of the enforcement guidance has been revised yet. If you cannot find the information you need in this section, please look in the ‘chapters’ sections of Enforcement instructions and guidance.

We are aware that some of these publications may have accessibility issues. We are reviewing it so that we can fix them.

Read more about our accessible documents policy.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content