More than 40,000 asylum seekers have been awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Interior for over a year, and 725 have been living “in the shadows” for over five years. figure Acquired by the Refugee Council.
According to Interior Ministry data, the number of people awaiting a first decision on asylum applications increased from 29,522 in December 2017 to 64,891 in December 2020, and in less than two years, 6 in 2022. It doubled to 122,206 in the month.
Refugee Council CEO Ember Solomon said in a statement: “While years of waiting for decisions on asylum applications cost millions of dollars, men, women “We must act now to address the enormous backlog of children’s problems.” It’s often pounds per day to accommodate them in poor quality hotels. ”
“These people came to the UK in search of safety, but instead of putting down roots and rebuilding in new communities, they were exposed to years of anxiety and uncertainty, taking a grave toll on their mental health. They are forced to live their lives.”
Home Secretary Suera Braverman and her predecessor Priti Patel described the asylum system as “broken” and said the crisis was exacerbated by the influx of illegal immigrants across the English Channel this year.
In October, Home Office Director of Asylum, Protection and Enforcement, Dan Hobbes, told the House Home Affairs Committee that 96% of asylum applications from 2021 had yet to reach a final decision, and 4% Of those, 85% said a final ruling had not been reached. percent success.
Conservative MP Tim Lawton called the 96% figure “absurd” and said, “A huge number of people don’t know if their claims hold up and are paying the UK taxpayer’s expense. Do you live in
“Yes, they will be in various stages. Some may be on appeal,” Hobbes replied.
The government spends £6.8m ($8m) a day to keep immigrants in hotels.
The Sudanese asylum seeker, known under the pseudonym Abu, has been staying in a Yorkshire hotel for nearly a year.
Abu told the Refugee Council that he left his family and fled Sudan in October 2021 after being arrested for participating in a demonstration against the country’s military rulers.
Sudanese asylum seekers claim Ukrainians are treated better
Abu said, “When you see how they treat Ukrainians, compare that. People say it’s because they’re Europeans and we’re not Europeans. It’s , makes us feel like we’re not a priority.”
A Home Office spokesman told the PA:
He added: We are currently rolling this out nationwide. ”
“Also, while we are working to prioritize applications from children and young people where possible, we are working to increase the number of decision makers overall, improve training and career advancement opportunities, and increase the number of staff and competencies. We are helping to maintain it,” said an Interior Ministry spokesperson.
PA Media contributed to this report.
follow
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist with a wide range of national coverage, with a particular interest in crime, police and law.