Crisis that badly needs tackling now

What is the problem?

Many asylum seekers pass through safe countries such as France to reach the UK. Critics say this indicates many who claim to be refugees – and may have paid thousands of pounds to people traffickers – are actually economic migrants who take up space in the system that could be allocated to people whose lives are in peril.

How is the system failing?

Once asylum seekers reach the UK it can be very difficult for the Government to remove them, even if their claims for refugee status are groundless. The number of asylum seekers living in Britain at taxpayers’ expense reached a record 64,041 at the end of last year, costing £1 billion annually. The growing backlog is partly due to Home Office bureaucracy but also to the rising use of legal challenges. Britain made more than 8,500 requests to European countries last year, asking them to take back asylum seekers who had passed through a safe country. Only 105 were transferred out.

How many pass through a ‘safe country’ to Britain?

There are no official figures, but a rough estimate can be provided by looking at the numbers who came here on small boats from France, who should have claimed asylum there, according to EU rules. That figure was just over 8,500 in 2020, and there were just over 36,000 asylum applications last year, including dependants. So at least one in four arrivals came from a safe country.

What is the Government proposing?

Asylum seekers who have passed through a safe country on their way to the UK will have their claims ruled ‘inadmissible’. Ministers will aim to sign deals with countries outside Europe to accommodate asylum seekers who have reached Britain and are thought to have passed through a safe country. They would then be moved to those foreign-based centres while their claims are processed.

How does this compare with other countries?

The European Union has paid Turkey more than £5 billion since 2016 to accommodate four million migrants – mostly from war-ravaged Syria. The scheme was designed to prevent migrants continuing their journey to Europe. Australia brought in mandatory offshore processing centres in 2013 for anyone who arrives without a visa. Asylum seekers travelling by sea are redirected to accommodation centres in countries such as Papua New Guinea. The policy has led to allegations that Australia is neglecting its duties to genuine refugees.

Where could asylum seekers be held?

Ministers are understood to be negotiating with several countries outside Europe. Turkey is believed to be a front-runner.

Could the proposals face legal challenges?

Yes. They will be highly controversial. One focus will be how the UK could transfer asylum seekers to another country. Many destroy their passports before arriving here and try to keep their true nationality secret. In those circumstances it is not known how they could be relocated. The Home Office could be subject to challenges under international human rights or refugee conventions.