Immigration Asylum claims have been hit with a backlog of applications, it has recently been revealed by the UK Home Office. These applications include both new asylum claims and people waiting for their first-year decision. The government has made promises to lower the figure. However, it is worthy of note that legal migration and overseas student numbers have risen.
Looking at the information, there are over 175,000 people who are waiting for their first decision on their asylum claim in the UK. This figure has increased by over 40% since last year. The cost to the government has increased significantly because of the extra staff, hotel bills and other associated living costs associated with caring for applicants while they await a decision. These additional costs represent over £5 million per day to the UK taxpayer. The number of people submitting asylum applications has risen to 20 20-year high.
The Home Office has stated that there is an “unacceptable number of people risking their lives” to come to the UK via small boats “placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system”. Government officials have said that they want to stop people entering the country via small boats. They are working with the French authorities to stop people risking their lives in this way and put a stop to those who are facilitating the people smuggling across the Channel.
If you need support with immigration, contact our team on 0116 285 8080 or [email protected].