US EditionUK Asylum System Hit by Inefficiencies and Wasted Funds, Watchdog Finds
The National Audit Office reports that 56% of asylum cases from January 2023 remain unresolved, driving £4.9 billion in costs largely due to accommodation and support.
- For 2024-25, the National Audit Office found the United Kingdom's asylum system cost around £4.9 billion, with the NAO calling these costs 'disproportionately high' due to delays and backlogs.
- Policy responses focused on single stages in recent years, as efforts to clear the 2023 legacy backlog shifted pressure onto tribunals and appeals courts.
- Caseload figures show 108,085 people in asylum accommodation, with 36,273 in hotels, amid £2.7bn costs for 2024-25, according to NAO data.
- The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced overhaul plans last month, and NAO called for a plan by the end of next year while the government recruits 1,000 judges and boosts legal aid by £20 million.
- NAO urged a whole-system approach and better data, noting no unique asylum case identifier across Home Office, court service and local authorities, with removals hindered by missing identity documents.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The real asylum scandal is our hysterical politicians
What would it look like if we had an honest debate about asylum? How would our national conversation sound if it was grounded in reason rather than hysteria? The answer to that question lies in this morning’s National Audit Office (NAO) report on the asylum system. It reveals a profound truth which no-one likes to concede: That the primary responsibility for the chaos in the asylum system lies not with refugees, but with government. The NAO is o…
True cost of Britain's asylum system laid bare in devastating spending watchdog report
The true cost of Britain's asylum system has been revealed in a damning report by Britain's spending watchdog.Labour's short-term tweaks to the system have fuelled soaring backlogs and resulted in wasted taxpayer money, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).The NAO details how the cost of supporting asylum seekers has become “disproportionately high”, reaching an estimated £4.9billion in 2024/25 as delays spiral.In a sample of…
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