The newest quarterly statistics present little motion on the asylum backlog, which was to be anticipated given the Residence Workplace was not making many choices as a result of Unlawful Migration Act. Following restrictions to the power of individuals to deliver their fast household to the UK with them, we’ve seen drops within the numbers of scholars and well being and care employees coming right here. Beneath I additionally check out charge waivers, detention, late functions to the EU Settlement Scheme, British citizenship and extra.
Asylum
Round 16% of irregular arrivals for the yr ending June 2024 had been Afghans, due to the lack of alternative routes for them. The highest 5 nationalities of individuals arriving throughout the Channel had been Afghan, Iranian, Vietnamese, Turkish and Syrian.
Solely 4% of claims made by individuals who arrived by small boat within the yr ending June 2024 have been processed. Nobody who arrived this manner since 20 July 2023 had their instances determined by the top of June 2024. This was due to the prohibition on their being granted leave below the Unlawful Migration Act 2023, the place has since changed and these claims at the moment are being processed.
Between 2018 and June 2024, there have been 3,788 returns of small boat arrivals (3% of the full). These appear prone to be primarily Albanians. In simply the yr ending June 2024 there have been 2,336 returns of small boat arrivals and 89% had been Albanian nationals. The variety of Albanian arrivals through this route has dropped significantly, with solely 755 individuals within the yr ending June 2024.
Trying on the data on asylum claims extra broadly, we are able to see that the backlog has not moved very a lot for the reason that starting of the yr. It was 118,329 on the finish of March and was 118,882 on the finish of June (important candidates and their dependents).
The grant charge for preliminary functions for the interval April to June 2024 was 33%, which is a giant drop from an already low 42% for the interval January to March 2024. In July to September 2023 the grant charge was 79%. As they did within the last quarterly statistics, the Residence Workplace hyperlinks this drop to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the raised commonplace of proof. Colin has written beforehand on why that should not be making much of a difference.
The grant charge for the highest ten nationalities of individuals claiming asylum might be seen within the under Residence Workplace chart:
The Residence Workplace abstract says:
There have been 224,742 instances within the asylum system on the finish of June 2024, of which lower than 40% had been instances awaiting an preliminary resolution. The variety of instances within the wider asylum system is 4% larger than in June 2023, regardless of a 36% lower within the quantity awaiting preliminary selections over the identical interval. It is because a lot of instances which obtained preliminary selections within the newest yr obtained refusals, and lots of of these may have gone to attraction, (due to this fact remaining within the wider asylum system while awaiting their attraction outcomes).
The info (at table ASY_03) exhibits that of the 224,742 instances, 87,217 are within the preliminary asylum resolution work in progress cohort. The “Post decision” work in progress cohort stood at 77,384 on the finish of June 2023 and had nearly doubled to 137,525 on the finish of June 2024. This consists of instances the place there may be an attraction excellent, there may be elimination motion being taken, or the case is “on hold”. It’s unclear what number of of those have moved into the appeals system, however we may even see another substantial leap within the subsequent tribunals statistics.
EU Settlement Scheme
The statistics for the EU Settlement Scheme present that 640,890 late functions have been made for the reason that deadline of 30 June 2021 as much as 30 June 2024.
The Residence Workplace changed the criteria that late applications needed to meet to be able to be deemed legitimate in August final yr. In January they slightly eased the criteria for some individuals. Nonetheless, for the reason that deadline of 30 June 2021 handed till the top of June 2024, 127,024 functions have been rejected as invalid and of these, 70,572 (56%) have been determined below the revised validity standards and had been rejected as not having cheap grounds for delay.
A authorized problem to the Residence Workplace’s method to late functions was heard last week, and do not forget that we’ve a webinar coming up on this issue on 4 September 2024.
Price waivers
We will see that functions for charge waivers proceed to outstrip the variety of selections being made, with the data showing that 22,581 functions had been made within the interval April to June 2024. Of the functions made in that interval, 121 had been granted and 1,849 had been refused and 20,508 are nonetheless ready for a choice. One other 13,613 functions made earlier than April 2024 are additionally nonetheless ready for a choice.
The speed of resolution making is so sluggish that it’s tough to discern any affect the elevated immigration well being surcharge and Appendix FM software charges have had on the grant charge for charge waiver functions.
The Unbiased Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has simply launched a call for evidence in relation to the Residence Workplace’s administration of charge waiver functions which hopefully lots of it is possible for you to to reply to.
Detention
On detention the long run downward development of the variety of individuals being detained has continued, with 12% fewer individuals coming into detention over the twelve month interval ending June 2024. Simply over a 3rd of those had been Albanians.
Yesterday, the Residence Secretary introduced that she intends to reverse this constructive development and can as a substitute increase the capacity of the detention estate.
There was a rise within the proportion of people that depart detention and are faraway from the UK, from 25% within the yr ending June 2023 to 42% within the yr ending June 2024. The Residence Workplace continues to blame the long run discount in detained individuals being returned on their elevating points stopping return solely as soon as they’re in detention. As ever, no point out is manufactured from the truth that authorized help is inaccessible to most individuals in the neighborhood, nonetheless authorized recommendation is offered to these in immigration elimination centres and for this reason claims are sometimes solely raised right here, as a result of it’s the first time the particular person has obtained any authorized recommendation.
College students
Within the yr ending June 2024, there have been 432,225 sponsored examine visas granted to important candidates, 13% fewer than the earlier yr. There have been 94,253 visas issued to scholar dependents, 39% fewer than within the yr to June 2023. This follows changes made last year to limit the power of scholars to deliver their members of the family.
Well being and Care employees
In relation to work routes, the variety of ‘Health and Care worker’ visas issued to important candidates is down 81% between April and June 2024 in contrast with the identical interval in 2023. Dependent visas have additionally fallen by 66% over the identical interval. As with college students, this follows changes made which remove the ability of care workers to deliver their household to the UK with them.
Settlement and British citizenship
Within the year ending June 2024 there have been 17% extra grants of settlement made, totalling 137,020.
There was an excellent bigger enhance within the variety of individuals being granted British Citizenship, which was up 37% in comparison with the earlier yr, to 246,488. This included 58,261 grants of citizenship to EU nationals, 41% greater than within the earlier yr.
Conclusion
That is the ultimate statistics launch of the immigration and asylum system because it was below the management of the earlier authorities. It will likely be fascinating to see how and by how a lot the asylum backlog has began to maneuver once more within the subsequent quarterly launch. Keep tuned for a bit extra evaluation to come back, together with a have a look at the statistics on asylum claims primarily based on sexual orientation, that are launched yearly moderately than quarterly.
Keen on refugee regulation? You would possibly like Colin’s e-book, imaginatively referred to as “Refugee Law” and revealed by Bristol College Press.
Speaking essential authorized ideas in an approachable manner, that is a vital guide for college students, attorneys and non-specialists alike.
