Summary
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) expects to meet its deadline of clearing a backlog of asylum cases by increasing the number of candidates given permission to stay in the UK.
The Report 'The Work of UK Border Agency (November 2010-March 2011)’ (HC 929) details the UKBA’s efforts to reach its target of clearing its backlog of over 400,000 asylum cases by summer 2011 through employing temporary staff so that caseworkers could concentrate on decision-making.
When the task of clearing the backlog commenced, it was agreed that applicants who had been in the UK for ten to 12 years could remain. However, since then, the duration has been reduced to six to eight years, making the process of resolving asylum cases more efficient.
If an applicant cannot be found and the UKBA is unaware of whether they remain in the UK, legally or otherwise, the case is archived, aiding the backlog clearance.
Out of 403,500 cases dealt with by the UKBA since 2006, 40% of applicants have been allowed to stay.
Furthermore, in approximately 74,500 of the 400,000 to 450,000 cases – approximately one in six – the UKBA has been completely unable to trace what has happened to the applicant.
The Home Affairs Committee considers that the vast number of asylum seekers who remain in the UK amounts to an amnesty - at considerable cost to the taxpayer.
The quality of initial decision-making needs to improve to avoid the substantial delays, financial costs and human suffering that occur at present.
The Committee also says that the UKBA has not carried out satisfactory checks on employers registered as sponsors of skilled migrants, nor has it followed up intelligence of possible illegal migrants.
This is the second in a series of reports into various aspects of the work of the UKBA. The Committee has requested that the Agency provide updates of their progress three times a year in November, March and July.
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