The UK Illegal Migration Act is set to generate a ‘perma-backlog’ of over 30,000 unprocessed asylum applications, according to a recent report by the independent charity Institute for Policy Research (IPPR). Unable to be removed to their unsafe countries of origin, these asylum seekers are deemed permanently inadmissible under the new asylum law.
The law presents a duty for the UK Home Secretary to consider migrants entering irregularly as permanently inadmissible to the asylum system. These “irregular migrants” include those who enter the UK by other than the government’s designated safe and legal routes.
Navigating the situation poses a double-edged sword for the Home Office. As described by the Home Office in their own terms, these immigrants are “pending the further stages of the inadmissibility procedure.” They are stuck in a limbo where they cannot return home, nor can they secure legal status in the UK.
This new immigration policy also puts a sizable financial strain on the UK government. In some cases, hotels, the former RAF Wethersfield base, and the Bibby Stockholm Barge have been used as temporary accommodation for migrants. The government has reportedly increased hiring to manage the growing number of claims. As a result, costs have leaped to £3.97 billion in 2023 from £500 million a decade earlier.
Faced with this predicament, IPPR is encouraging the government to commence processing asylum claims, allowing seekers either to remain in the UK and start working or be repatriated to their home countries. They believe that resolving these cases – as opposed to leaving them in a ‘perma-backlog’ – would not only allow individuals to build their lives but also reduce the financial burden on the taxpayer.
The public release of IPPR’s report comes in the wake of a Home Office press release confirming the resolution of the ‘legacy’ backlog of asylum cases, fulfilling Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 2013 promise. However, the IPPR noted that approximately 4,500 complex cases and 38,500 applications are still stuck in the system due to the newly implemented assessment processes under the Nationality and Borders Act.