Increase in small boat arrivals drives claims to highest level in almost two decades
New immigration statistics released by the Home Office today show that number of asylum applications increased to over 63,000 in the year ending June 2022.
Image credit: UK GovernmentThe Home Office stated: "There were 63,089 asylum applications (relating to 75,181 people) in the UK in the year ending June 2022. This was 77% more than in 2019 and the highest number for almost two decades. … [I]t is higher than at the peak of the European migration crisis (when in year ending June 2016 there were 36,546 applications). It is, however, around three quarters of the level of the previous peak in asylum applications in 2002 (84,132 applications)."
Numbers claiming asylum in the UK remain considerably lower than in Germany and France, however. The Home Office notes that Germany received 164,925 applications in the year ending March 2022 and France received 112,860.
The recent rise in applications in the UK is linked to a sharp increase in the number of people crossing the Channel by small boats, almost all of whom (94%) claim asylum.
According to today's statistics, the current top ten countries of origin of asylum seekers in the UK are Iran, Albania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Sudan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
The Home Office notes that nationals of half of the top ten countries received positive initial decisions on their asylum applications in over 80% of cases (resulting in a grant of protection or other leave). For nationals of Syria, the grant rate was 98%, for those from Afghanistan 97%, Eritrea 97%, Sudan 92%, and Iran 85%.
For Albanian men the grant rate was only 14%, though for Albanian women and children it was dramatically higher at 90%.
A sharp increase in the number of Albanians crossing the Channel to claim asylum in the UK has received considerable attention in recent days. The Times reported today that a new Home Office system will begin next week which will see Albanians' claims assessed immediately so that those considered inadmissible can be fast-tracked for removal.
According to The Times, a deal agreed with the Albanian government will see inadmissible asylum seekers flown back to Albania "within days" of arriving in the UK.
In a statement, the Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "Large numbers of Albanians are being sold lies by ruthless people smugglers and vicious organised crime gangs, leading them to take treacherous journeys in flimsy boats to the UK. This abuse of our immigration system and people risking their lives cannot go on. Thanks to our excellent levels of co-operation with Albania, we will take every opportunity to speed up removals of Albanians with no right to be in the UK."
Speaking to The Times, Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council warned: "To pre-judge an asylum claim based on biases about the country of origin of the applicant is totally wrong, and undermining of our asylum determination process that seeks to ensure the opposite — that claims are assessed on their individual merit and the information provided."
The Times says that Albanians are believed to represent around 20% of all those crossing the Channel this year. According to the Press Association, officials say that a recent increase means Albanians are now between 50% and 60% of arrivals.
Meanwhile, today's Home Office immigration statistics also showed that the number of initial decisions made on asylum applications remained considerably lower than pre-pandemic levels despite the sharp increase in the number of claims.
14,706 initial decisions were made on asylum applications in the year ending June 2022, which is 29% below the number of decisions in 2019.
On asylum appeals, the Home Office noted: "There were 3,405 appeals lodged on initial decisions in the year ending June 2022. This is 63% fewer than in 2019, in part reflecting the smaller number of applications refused in the latest year, but also continuing a downward trend in numbers of appeals lodged since 2015 (when there were 14,242 appeals lodged). Of the appeals determined in the year ending June 2022, around half (51%) were allowed (meaning the Home Office was asked to reconsider their decision)."
In response to today's immigration statistics, the Refugee Council said: "As with last quarter’s statistics, today’s show that the strong majority – 76% – of initial decisions made in the year ending June 2022 resulted in a grant of asylum or humanitarian protection, see this rate reach a 30-year high. This demonstrates clearly that people are coming to this country in desperate need of safety, having fled conflict, war, persecution and bloodshed, and that our government is recognising this at the first opportunity by granting them protection and the right to stay in the UK as refugees."
The Refugee Council also highlighted the increasing backlog of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision, which reached 117,945 at the end of June 2022. Enver Solomon said it was a major failing of the Government that the asylum system doesn’t work more efficiently and humanely to prevent this happening.