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About the job
Job summary
Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on the Immigration Enforcement careers page.
Our Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) teams are committed to disrupting and dismantling the organised crime groups facilitating immigration abuse by utilising its financial investigations capability to remove the proceeds of crime and strip criminals of their assets.
Immigration Enforcement has a fundamental role to play in tackling immigration crime, as part of a multi-layered UK law enforcement approach.
Through working closely with partners in the National Crime Agency, territorial policing and many other agencies and departments, our Criminal and Financial Investigation Teams take vigorous action against those criminals that seek to benefit from illegal migration.
Working for Immigration Enforcement is challenging and fast paced, requiring quick decision making in demanding situations. To work within Immigration Enforcement, you must be able to meet these challenges while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. This role is physically demanding, so you will also need to be physically fit.
You would be expected to demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism and teamwork with adherence to our vision statement:
‘Tackling immigration crime by empowering our people, inspiring confidence and protecting communities.’
CFI Directorate has a Financial Investigation (FI) structure in place to help disrupt organised criminal networks. In the Financial Investigations Unit we analyse financial information and advise CFI colleagues on lines of enquiry. The team undertakes money laundering investigations, seizing cash, and restraining and confiscating criminal assets. We also work collaboratively with and support other law enforcement agencies in tackling organised crime.
This is an exciting opportunity for the right individuals to join a new, dedicated National Cash Team within CFI.
Job description
The successful candidates will focus on cash-related activity for CFI (both border and inland) and will have responsibility for most detained cash investigations where there is a suspicion that the cash is derived from, or intended for use in, immigration offences.
Tasks will include (but are not limited to):
• Operational deployments to identify and adopt detained cash investigations.
• Undertaking / progressing detained cash investigations.
• Conducting interviews.
• Giving evidence during court hearings (all CFI staff are required to disclose any adverse judicial decisions or internal disciplinary matters under CPIA. Applicants need to bear this in mind when considering their eligibility for this post).
• Participation in a national on-call roster.
• Accurately report activity on departmental / local databases and on the Joint Assets Recovery Database (JARD).
• Reporting to the Chief Immigration Officer and His Majesty’s Inspector with case updates / progress.
• Actively manage a case load of investigations. You will be accountable for expedient and thorough investigations whilst adhering to strict Court timetables.
• Stakeholder engagement including Multi-Agency Cash Cell (Border Force led); CFI, ICE, VCT and Rapid Response Team peers; Immigration Removal Centres. Officers will assist in promoting the team’s work to increase its profile, workstreams and referrals.
Some initial financial intelligence training will be provided and there is potential for future personal development to include Financial Investigator training.
Person specification
- The posts require a commitment to working flexibly and will involve some travel throughout the UK, including occasional overnight stays where necessary.
- It must be borne in mind that the successful applicant may be required to comply with court attendance timetables which may change at short notice. The level of travel required for the post, sometimes at short notice, may result in long working days. There is a requirement to participate in an on-call roster for out of hours referrals.
- In line with other frontline CFI roles, this is a mainly office-based role with working from home to be discussed and agreed with the Chief Immigration Officer when appropriate.
- Learning requirements: if successful candidates aren’t already trained to seize and investigate cash, full training will be provided.
- The successful applicants will be expected to obtain (if not already held) and maintain accreditation as a Financial Intelligence Officer via Continuing Professional Development (CPD). **Accreditation via the Proceeds of Crime Centre.
- Should existing Financial Investigators transfer to this team we will look to support the maintaining of CPDs although the focus of the role will be cash-related.
- If not already an Immigration Officer, in order to be designated as one, you will be required to attend a 2-week induction course (residential depending on location of post).
- The successful candidate will be required to undergo and pass a health assessment, which is usually repeated every three years (although this can sometimes be yearly for specific health reasons).
- Financial Investigators in IE are arrest-trained. If not already appropriately trained, the successful candidate will also need to successfully attend a PST level 3 training course (residential depending on location) and pass an annual PST refresher.
Essential criteria
Successful candidates will have the following proven skills:
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, particularly the ability to produce written work to a high standard.
- Competent in using IT (particularly MS Excel and Word), including creating and utilising spreadsheets.
- Focused, flexible and able to apply attention to detail to all aspects of the role.
- The ability to develop new and existing stakeholder relationships.
- Self-motivated and well-organised.
Desirable criteria
- Have experience of conducting investigations.
- Arrest trained (PST Level 3).
- A practical working knowledge of immigration processes both at port and in country.
- Financial Intelligence Officer accreditation via the PoCC.
Licences
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%