Responding to the Government’s latest immigration statistics released today (21 August), Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, said:

“Today’s data confirms the Government’s commitment to clear its backlog of asylum claims is being pursued at the expense of fairness and efficiency.

“Thousands of refugees are being refused asylum under flawed criteria that were introduced but not applied by the previous government - criteria this administration has irresponsibly chosen to maintain and enforce.

“This is a shocking abandonment of people fleeing war, torture and persecution and simply pushes backlogs and costs elsewhere – including into the appeals system.

“The Government continues to demonstrate that it has no better understanding than its predecessor of its responsibilities and the consequences of trying to avoid them.

“As a result, we see the same outcomes of harm to refugees, wasted public money, dysfunction at the Home Office, and more fuel to those spreading hate and division.

“The Government must establish a fair and efficient system that upholds its legal and moral responsibilities to provide vital protection to refugees, regardless of how they arrive here.”

Lower asylum grants

Despite many people coming from countries known for serious human rights abuses and conflict, rates of asylum being granted to people coming from such countries as Afghanistan, Iran and Eritrea, for example, remain significantly low compared to recent years.

The last quarter’s immigration figures had shown a dramatic decline with only 44% of Afghans granted asylum over the last 12 months down from 98% a year ago, 58% Iranians down from 84%, and 86% Eritreans down from 99%; and these lows have not reversed.

The grant rates shown in today’s figures for Afghans is 40%, for Iranians 60% and for Eritreans 87%.

Since the Government took office, it has applied provisions of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, which – as the UNHCR, Amnesty and others have made clear – reinterpret the Refugee Convention contrary to international law and the right to asylum.