[1] The force was part of the now defunct UK Border Agency from its establishment in 2008 until Home Secretary Theresa May demerged it in March 2012 after severe criticism of the senior management.

Officers work in the UK and overseas, including inland and at air and sea ports, often in partnership with Border Force.

This was eventually split further into Border Force and Immigration Enforcement, with the two agencies forming two separate commands within the Home Office.

[6] The primary role of the unit is to investigate and disrupt serious organised crime groups who are seeking to undermine the UK's immigration controls at the border and inland via various criminal means.

Those categories include: Officers in CFI, who have the same arrest powers as a Police Constable under Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, are required to pass the National Investigators Exam, which has been amended to additionally test Immigration knowledge, before completing the Initial Crime Investigators Development Programme (ICIDP) [PIP 2].

CORT was originally established in early 2020 in response to the increased arrival of small boats (RHIBs) that were setting off from France to the UK, through the English Channel.

In fulfilling their frontline duties, CORT officers received assistance from other areas of Immigration Enforcement, such as Crime and Financial Investigation.

If and when this is granted, the authority must then be sought to remove the subject back to their country of origin, possibly through an EU nation or via another transit point.

Uniformed Immigration Officers have their rank displayed on shoulder epaulettes, attached to their wicking shirt, jumper, jacket and stab vest.

It includes: The rank structure adopted within Home Office Immigration Enforcement is as follows: There are equivalent grades that mirror the rest of the Civil Service.

The PACE order 2013 introduced that a Chief Immigration Officer is the equivalent to a Police Inspector in relation to lawful authorities.

The information revealed caused controversy, particularly as they gave the impression that operations were widely based on "racial profiling" targeting particular ethnic groups.

The then chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz MP, stated that "judging by what I've heard from this document it seems very clear that this is not based on intelligence, but they refer to particular nationalities and particular industries that they are involved in".

[12] A report published in August 2016 by Corporate Watch highlighted a number of areas of controversy surrounding Immigration Enforcement operations against "illegal working".

[13] The main points included: The Corporate Watch report followed the high profile "Byron Burgers Case", where the hamburger restaurant chain collaborated with Immigration Enforcement to set up a "sting operation", calling in workers for early morning meetings where they were met by Immigration Enforcement arrest teams.

The Corporate Watch report found that this case was part of a wider pattern in which "Immigration Officers seek to follow up tip-offs by contacting employers and asking them to collaborate ahead of raids.