Critics say it shows Britain is seen as a “soft touch” and an easier place to seek refuge than France. In 2010, only around 25% of asylum applications were accepted. But Home Ministry figures show 64% – almost two-thirds – have now succeeded, with Iranians, Eritreans, Albanians, Iraqis and Syrians submitting the most applications. This means that 9,516 applicants have been granted some form of asylum in the past year – around 25 per day – while only 5,242 have been rejected.
Ten years ago, the comparable figures were 5,198 accepted, while 15,066 were refused. However, the current and historical figures are both underestimated as they only cover the first requests of migrants and not if they are ultimately allowed to stay after the call.
The figures also show how the asylum system is now inundated with applicants. Over the past 12 months, 37,562 asylum applications have been lodged, more than double the figure of 10 years ago. This means applications are taking longer to process with 70,808 cases pending adjudication, of which 44,018 have been pending for more than six months.
Experts believe there has been an increase in requests over the past year, travel restrictions have eased following increased Covid closures and dangerous Channel crossings by small boat.
Dr Ben Greening, Executive Director of MigrationWatch UK, said: “The growing weakness of our asylum system has drawn tens of thousands of migrants across the Channel to enter the UK by boat. about double that of France. Our porous border endangers the safety of the public. We need a serious tightening of the standard of proof for claims, a much stricter enforcement against illegal and undocumented arrivals, and many faster referrals of failed claimants. “
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “As these statistics show, the UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. However, a significant proportion of asylum claims over the past year should have been made in a safe country first, rather than people risking their lives making dangerous crossings. The Nationality and Borders Bill will bring the most comprehensive reform in decades. It will make the system fairer and more efficient, so that we can support those who genuinely need asylum. “
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Source: www.express.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-12-12 13:48:38
