More than half of asylum seekers rejected under tightened laws will remain in UK | Immigration and asylum
More than half of people whose asylum and visa claims will be refused under tightened human rights laws will continue to live in the UK, according to the Home Office’s own assessment.
Documents released on Tuesday show plans to impose new restrictions on Article 8 of the European convention on human rights are expected to result in a further 11,700 people having their claims rejected.
But the impact assessment shows that 55 per cent of those rejected under Article 8 reforms are expected to remain in the UK.
The documents were disclosed after Shabana Mahmood presented the immigration and asylum bill to parliament.
It proposes charging asylum seekers a £10,000 fee before they are granted settled status, a new judge-less appeals system and new restrictions on human trafficking claims.
Imran Hussain, director of external relations at the Refugee Council, said the bill could cause “chaos for the Home Office and the next prime minister for years to come”.
He added: “This would create a whole new bureaucracy architecture for the Home Office by creating a new appeals system and imposing an unfair extra tax on refugees, while ignoring the poor quality of initial decisions that actually led to significant delays and costs.
“Every day in our frontline services we see men, women and children fleeing torture, devastating wars and the oppression of brutal regimes from countries like Afghanistan and Sudan.
“Like generations of refugees before them, all they want is to settle down, stand on their own two feet, find work in the NHS, in our care homes and on our high streets.
“If the government is serious about building a fair and functioning asylum system, it must start by breaking the cycle of quick fixes and bills that create long-term chaos.”
According to the bill’s impact assessment, the Home Office will see “an estimated 11,700 additional refusals due to the impact of Article 8”.
The Home Office’s internal analysis said the “proportion of rejected applicants remaining in the UK after Article 8 rejection” was 55%.
An analysis by the department found that 34,000 asylum seekers were granted the right to remain in the UK under Article 8 last year. The lifetime cost of each migrant claiming ECHR rights is estimated at £141,000 after tax, the department said.
The legislation will only allow section 8 claims for a stricter definition of the “nuclear family unit” to include spouses, parents and children.
Under the bill, those who start a family while living illegally in the UK will no longer be able to use their spouses or children to avoid deportation.
The Modern Slavery Act will also be amended to stop misuse of the law. Modern slavery claims will need to be made within a certain period of time after arriving in the UK and each individual will be limited to one claim.
Ministers hope the bill will introduce proposals that will create a robust but fair asylum system and reduce the pull factors that trigger illegal immigration.
However, some Labor MPs are expected to oppose the bill due to the strictest measures it will contain.
Last week the Home Office announced plans to use former military barracks to house thousands of refugees after closing a further 20 hotels in England.
A Home Office source said Article 8 was a human rights remedy based on family or private life. Those affected by the changes include those seeking asylum and those wishing to stay on the basis of family ties.
