UK Asylum Claims: Figures Mired in Controversy

The UK Home Office announced that it has processed all asylum claims filed before 28 June 2022, totalling 86,800 decisions. However, there are still 4,500 'complex' cases that require further investigation. Critics, including Stephen Kinnock, Labour's shadow immigration minister, and Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, accuse the government of manipulating the figures and losing track of individuals removed from the asylum process. Despite these efforts, the government is still likely to miss its target for processing new claims and continues to house many asylum seekers in expensive hotels, with the number increasing by 20% last year.