The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice regarding a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made to the Home Office concerning its cooperation with Turkey on upstream capacity building programmes for irregular migration. The Home Office had relied on sections 27(4) (international relations) and 31(3) (law enforcement) of the FOIA to neither confirm nor deny holding the requested information. The ICO's decision is that the Home Office correctly relied on section 27(4) of the FOIA, and therefore, the complainant's request is not upheld on this basis.

This decision means the Home Office is not required to disclose whether it holds the specific information requested, as it has been deemed exempt under international relations provisions. For government agencies, this reinforces the application of FOI exemptions in sensitive areas of international cooperation and law enforcement. No further steps are mandated by the ICO, indicating the conclusion of this specific complaint.