The real story behind the record-high asylum backlog
The Independent|August 25, 2023
Some 175,457 people were waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in June, the highest figure since records began in 2010 and a rise of 44 per cent from a year earlier.
ANDREW GRICE
The real story behind the record-high asylum backlog

The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics prompt further questions about whether Rishi Sunak will be able to deliver his pledges to “stop the boats” and clear the backlog of asylum claims. The data shows 80 per cent of people have been waiting longer than six months for an initial decision on their claim.

Right-wing Conservative MPs urged the prime minister to launch an urgent plan to “dramatically” curb legal immigration and honour the party’s 2019 manifesto promise to bring down net migration. But other Tories said the asylum backlog showed the government’s plan to detain and deport migrants crossing the Channel in small boats is “unrealistic”.

Is this all about people arriving in small boats?

This story is from the August 25, 2023 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 25, 2023 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
Why Lawson got Red Bull seat over unlucky Tsunoda
The Independent

Why Lawson got Red Bull seat over unlucky Tsunoda

Surely Yuki Tsunoda believed this would be his time for the highly coveted promotion.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Sad tale of an entertainer turned middling curiosity
The Independent

Sad tale of an entertainer turned middling curiosity

Jack Grealish has sacrificed flair for silverware at City but as he returns home to Villa Park, he'll wonder if it was worth it

time-read
5 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Spurs survive 'self-inflicted' collapse to reach cup semis
The Independent

Spurs survive 'self-inflicted' collapse to reach cup semis

As Son Heung-min wheeled away and the Tottenham fans in the South Stand bounced their way into the Carabao Cup semifinals, it was fitting in this bonkers, breathless tie that the winning goal against Manchester United would come straight from a corner kick.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
A rocky road ahead but we are not quite in stagflation
The Independent

A rocky road ahead but we are not quite in stagflation

Should “stagflation” be our word of the day? It’s the term used by the parents of proto-central bankers to scare them into eating their broccoli. It applies when you have slow or no economic growth, high inflation and high interest rates.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Australia's coal expansion a 'death sentence' for islands
The Independent

Australia's coal expansion a 'death sentence' for islands

Australia’s decision to expand four coal mines has been slammed by island nations as a death sentence” and a betrayal of global climate commitments.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Healthcare killing suspect receives fan mail and cash
The Independent

Healthcare killing suspect receives fan mail and cash

Luigi Mangione, the suspect at the centre of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, has received more than 100 pieces of mail just over a week after he was taken into custody, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections confirmed to The Independent.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Russia is 'ready to negotiate and compromise', Putin says
The Independent

Russia is 'ready to negotiate and compromise', Putin says

A rare 13th-century Bible will return to its ancestral home in Salisbury Cathedral more than 700 years after it was written, thanks to the help of The Independent.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Mum relives horror of her teenage son's fatal stabbing
The Independent

Mum relives horror of her teenage son's fatal stabbing

The grieving mother of a teenage boy has described the harrowing moment her son died in her arms after a brutal knife attack near their home in Bristol.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Independent helps raise £90,000 to return medieval Bible to Salisbury Cathedral
The Independent

Independent helps raise £90,000 to return medieval Bible to Salisbury Cathedral

A rare 13th-century Bible will return to its ancestral home in Salisbury Cathedral more than 700 years after it was written, thanks to the help of The Independent.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Avanti managers turn down £250 offer for working day off as new year strike looms
The Independent

Avanti managers turn down £250 offer for working day off as new year strike looms

Train managers at Avanti West Coast have turned down an offer worth £250 for working on a day off – or £300 at weekends.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024