THE Tories were accused of twisting the truth today after Home Secretary James Cleverly insisted that the government had dealt with a backlog of cases in the asylum system.
Mr Cleverly’s office said the “commitment of clearing the legacy asylum backlog has been delivered,” but the latest figures contradict the claims, with official figures showing that 4,537 legacy applications were still awaiting decisions by December 28.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to abolish 92,000 “legacy” applications, made by anyone who applied before June 28 2022, by the end of 2023.
Mr Cleverly said the unresolved cases were “discrepancies.”
Stand up to Racism co-convener Sabby Dhalu said Mr Cleverly was “clearly being economical with the truth.
“It’s a case of different year, same racism from this government, to distract from its failures in the economy and healthcare — issues more important to the electorate,” she said.
Julia Tinsley-Kent of the Migrants’ Rights Network slammed the Home Office’s backlog claims as “simply incorrect.”
She said that now was “not the time for self-congratulatory statements,” with no details on the outcomes of the claims and whether they have been assessed with care.
“The Home Office subjects asylum-seekers to an extractive and retraumatising process, and then makes them wait a long time for a decision: it places an immense burden of proof on people seeking safety,” Ms Tinsley-Kent said.
“The backlog is the result of unnecessary, hostile, and bureaucratic processes that prioritise treating people with suspicion, rather than compassion.”
The backlog of applications made after June 2022 was 94,062 on December 28 — up 3 per cent from November 30.
Out of the 112,138 initial asylum decisions made in 2023, 31 per cent were withdrawn, paused or declared void.
Refugee Action chief executive Tim Naor Hilton said the hostile asylum system had left more than 100,000 “in poverty, in poor housing, and out of work.”
He added that the rapid increase in decision-making “was done without a plan for housing and has left many homeless.”
“Claims must be thoroughly considered, and people given access to legal aid. Getting it wrong can be a matter of life and death,” he said.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, described the government’s claims that it had cleared the legacy backlog as “misleading”.
“The Government has also failed to explain why there are thousands of people who have had their claim for asylum withdrawn, including for administration errors such as incorrect addresses, and why so many who have been allowed to stay in the UK have been left facing homelessness and destitution.”
