Five News Reveals Huge Asylum Backlog as Border Agency Fails to Meet Targets

An exclusive investigation by Five News has shown that the UK Border Agency is failing to meet government targets on asylum, creating a backlog which could take years to clear.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Five News obtained figures which showed just 40% of cases were concluded within 6 months, well below the Home Office target of 75%.  Our investigation also found that just three percent of asylum applicants who arrived last year were sent back to their country within six months.

The Border Agency claims 60% of cases are concluded every six months, and that overall around half of asylum seekers were being removed from Britain. But the information released to Five News shows the 60% figure is based on the month of June, which just happened to be a good month.

Conservative MP David Davies told Five News he was appalled by the findings:

“I’m appalled at the manipulation that’s been going on within the Home Office,” he said.

“These figures suggest that month-in month-out, only a tiny percentage of asylum seekers who shouldn’t be here, are removed, except for the month they like to release where they got rid of significantly more.”

The Border Agency is already clearing a backlog of 200,000 old cases.  The drive to meet the new target has also led to it being unrepresented at appeal hearings where applicants have challenged a decision to refuse asylum.

In response to the investigation the UK Border Agency issued the following statement:

“The UK Border Agency is a world leader in focusing not just on taking decisions but concluding cases as well.

“The Asylum Improvement Project is currently seeking ways to fast track decisions, remove more people and reduce the asylum budget. Our asylum system needs to be faster and cheaper, while at the same time improving the quality of decisions and ensuring we can remove those who do not need our protection.

"We have made significant improvements and currently conclude around 60% of new asylum claims, not just to initial decision, within six months.”

Targets to conclude 100% of new cases every six months by December 2011 are to be scrapped by the coalition government.

Five News is produced by Sky News.