The Home Office is under fire after recent figures revealed that only 52% of asylum decisions met internal quality standards in 2023/24, a significant drop from 72% in the previous year. This decline coincides with Rishi Sunak’s drive to clear the backlog of legacy asylum claims, prioritizing speed over accuracy.
The push to process more than 90,000 old claims by the end of 2023 has reportedly led to costly legal challenges, with over 9,300 appeals lodged between April and June this year. Appeals against Home Office decisions have surged from 8,000 to 29,000, with almost half of these challenges proving successful.
Backlog Targets Compromise Decision Quality
An anonymous asylum official attributed the decline in quality to policies implemented during Sunak’s pledge to clear the backlog. “Training periods for asylum decision-makers were significantly shortened, and targets were raised to prioritize quantity over quality,” the official said.
Decision-makers are now expected to handle seven “events” per week, often at the expense of thorough reviews. Additionally, the Home Office introduced a two-hour limit for most asylum interviews, which critics argue undermines the ability to gather sufficient information for sustainable decisions.
A 2023 internal Home Office report warned of “insufficient activity to identify risks” and flagged the possibility of “incorrect or unsustainable decisions.” Despite these concerns, the asylum processing changes have persisted, even after Sunak declared the legacy backlog “cleared” in January.
Legal Experts Highlight Rising Errors
Lawyers and advocates have voiced concerns about the rising number of errors in asylum decisions. Freedom from Torture called the figures “alarming,” warning that sacrificing quality for efficiency risks sending refugees back to torture and persecution.
Immigration solicitor Lily Parrott of Duncan Lewis noted a significant drop in decision-making quality, citing errors such as mismatched names, nationalities, and genders in refusal letters. She added, “Poor-quality decisions are simply shifting the backlog from the Home Office to the tribunals, leading to more appeals.”
The Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association highlighted systemic issues, including factual mistakes, failure to consider evidence, and poorly conducted interviews. Some asylum seekers reportedly faced interviews with interpreters who spoke the wrong dialect, resulting in inaccurate testimonies.
Impact on Asylum Seekers
Charities supporting asylum seekers have condemned the effects of these poor-quality decisions. Care4Calais, a refugee charity, stressed the “profound” impact on vulnerable individuals. Hannah Marwood, the charity’s head of legal access, warned that “these decisions wreck lives by denying people the right to safety and protection.”
The backlog has also fueled increased anxiety and uncertainty for asylum seekers, who face prolonged waiting times for appeals to be resolved.
Home Office Response
A Home Office spokesperson defended the government’s approach, stating: “The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly. We are getting the system moving again by processing cases and increasing returns of people who have no right to be here.”
However, critics argue that the current strategy prioritizes speed at the expense of justice, leaving asylum seekers vulnerable and legal professionals overwhelmed by appeals.
