12,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS VANISH
...and that’s just those the Home Office know about
BRITAIN’S immigration crisis is laid bare today as figures reveal that up to 12,000 asylum seekers are on the run.
An investigation has shown that of 77,440 asylum cases in progress, one in six skipped their first meeting with border chiefs and vanished.
The 11,988 include migrants seized and held while trying to sneak into the UK but who have subsequently given authorities the slip.
A rise in numbers trying to cross the Channel from northern France has seen border security stretched to breaking point. Many of those intercepted are thought to have been set free to join illegal immigrants already here.
The alarming Home Office statistic released to the Daily Express under Freedom of Information laws may even be the tip of the iceberg.
There was anger last night at the laxness of
Britain’s immigration system. Charlie Elphicke, the Tory MP for Dover, said: “It is very concerning that some 12,000 asylum seekers failed to turn up for interview.
“We need to know if the Government has lost track of them. We must be sure we don’t have a situation where vulnerable people are dragged into the black economy and become victims of slavery.
“This is why it is so important these people are found.”
The UK’s booming black economy is estimated to be worth £150billion, supporting at least 1.1 million people who could be here illegally.
The scale of those who have disappeared from under the noses of immigration officials emerged after the Daily Express asked to know the whereabouts of five Iranians who sailed here in a dinghy.
They were held after being caught in Winchelsea, East Sussex, in July. Almost two months later no one has been able to officially confirm where they are.
Border officials released the men, aged between 18 and 44, but ordered them to report in regularly.
Migration Watch UK’s Alp Mehmet said: “While illegal immigration continues to be a huge problem, the resources devoted to dealing with it remain inadequate.
“The number of enforced removals has barely changed for 15 years. The Border Force and enforcement teams must have the budgets, support and political backing to deal with illegal immigration.” Asylum claims rose by 38 per cent to 34,687 last year. Most came from Iran, Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan and Syria. Including dependants, the number stood at 41,563.
Asylum cost the UK £546million last year.
Ukip defence spokesman MEP Mike Hookem said: “The Home Office thinks it’s likely that people who land here illegally will be allowed to go free and return for an appointment another time. It is laughably naive or demonstrating a lack of funding and investment. We have a department not fit for purpose.”
In a report last December, David Bolt, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, said: “Asylum casework managers told us there were 10,000 asylum claims where the claimants were not in contact or had absconded.
“While teams could conduct residential visits to trace absconders, they were reluctant to as this was not a priority and was considered a drain on resources.”
A Home Office spokesman denied that almost 12,000 asylum seekers were missing but could not provide a figure on how many there were.
He said: “The figure includes asylum seekers who simply did not turn up for their first interview. Therefore the figure includes individuals who attended subsequent meetings.
“Prior to 2009, there was no mechanism in place to trace absconders. We now have a dedicated national absconder tracing team which works closely with the police, other government agencies and commercial companies.”
THIS country’s asylum system is completely unfit for purpose as new figures revealed by the Daily Express indicate. Up to 12,000 asylum seekers are currently on the run in Britain having skipped meetings with officials and simply disappeared.
Under the current system the efforts to keep tabs on them are paltry at best. The five Iranians detained after landing on a beach in Winchelsea, East Sussex, in July are a case in point. After being arrested by police they were handed on to immigration officials. These officials then told them to “check in” regularly and released them. The shockingly lax approach displayed in this instance is by no means unusual.
Nobody – least of all those involved in administering the asylum system – can be surprised that so many people are slipping through the net. Given the choice between living here illegally – an option which carries little risk of being caught – and complying with the proper procedures it is obvious which option many people take.
The only surefire way to prevent asylum seekers running away is to detain them while their applications are being processed. Then those who are granted refugee status can be freed to build a life in Britain and the others who have no right to stay can easily be deported.
Yet despite repeated evidence that the immigration authorities are failing us those in charge just do not seem to care. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been largely anonymous since she was appointed in July. If she wants to make an impression, fixing this shambles would be a good way to start.