Clearing asylum backlog could see ‘62,000 more migrants recognised as refugees’

More than 62,000 migrants could be granted asylum in the UK as the Government attempts to clear the backlog of claims waiting to be dealt with.

The Refugee Council estimates the number of asylum applications waiting to be determined could stand at 118,063 in January now Labour has scrapped plans to send migrants to Rwanda and started processing claims again.

Analysis of official data, based on grant rates in the year to June, indicates as many as 62,801 more people could be recognised as refugees in the UK, according to the migrant charity.

Total backlog

It said the research suggests the total backlog at the start of next year could be 59,000 lower than at the time of the July election and if no action had been taken to change government policy.

It comes as Downing Street insisted the Government was “committed” to ending the use of asylum hotels amid claims the Home Office is considering reopening some previously closed by the Conservatives.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the migrant charity, said Labour “inherited an asylum system that was utterly broken” and while “decisive early action has been taken to stop the system from falling over” there needed to be a “comprehensive reform to create a fair, orderly and humane asylum system”.

“A functioning system is one that quickly and accurately makes decisions about who has a valid reason to be protected in the UK and who doesn’t and supports refugees to rebuild their lives.

“People seeking asylum need quick decisions so they can feel secure about their future in Britain, while the public needs to feel confident that the Government is making fair decisions about who can stay in the UK and who cannot.

“Asylum applications are moving again, but we are concerned that there is no clear plan yet to improve the rate of decision-making to keep pace with applications and avoid another backlog emerging,” he added.

Hotels

Labour vowed in its manifesto to stop housing migrants in taxpayer-funded hotels but was on Wednesday accused of seeking to use more.

The Home Office is understood to be reviewing the hotels being used to house asylum seekers. But the department would not confirm if it is seeking to use more or reopen any of those previously closed.

A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government took quick action to restore order to the asylum system that we inherited by restarting asylum processing to clear the backlog.

“This is happening as we continue to remove more people with no right to be here – with over 3,000 people returned since we formed government – while also driving down the costs of asylum accommodation to save money for the taxpayer.”