The Independent covered the release of the quarterly immigration statistics last week.

These show that:

• While the number of applications decreased by 18%, the waiting times on asylum claims have hit a record high.
• By the end of 2020 there were 46, 800 applicants and their dependents waiting for longer than 6 months for a decision on their asylum application, a rise of 700 on the previous quarter.
• There was a 52% drop in grants of humanitarian protection – 9,381 grants of protection in 2020, compared with 19,408 the previous year.
• 85 per cent fewer refugees than in the previous year were granted protection through resettlement
• Only 7,546 people were granted asylum –  down 40 per cent compared with 2019,
• There was a 28% rise in people in asylum accommodation from 50,091 to 64,041.
• Although there was a 250% rise in attempts to deport people, the actual number deported was down by 60%.

So overall, there are more people are stuck within the system than ever due to delays in already far too slow decision making, caused by the pandemic.

Asylum Matters’ director, Paul Hook, was quoted in The Independent article calling for the ban on  the right to work for people seeking asylum to be lifted “as a matter of urgency”, asking why, at this time of public health crisis, the Government is not allowing skilled professionals to contribute to the Covid-19 response and national recovery.

To see the full figures for the year ending December 2020 go to the Government Immigration statistics quarterly release website.