10 December 2025: BBC: UK Asylum System Hit by Inefficiencies and Wasted Funds
The UK’s asylum system is affected by inefficiencies, “wasted public funds” and a succession of “short-term, reactive” government policies that have moved problems elsewhere, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.
As part of its analysis, the spending watchdog looked at a sample of 5,000 asylum claims lodged almost three years ago, in January 2023. Since then, 35% (1,619) of those asylum seekers had been given some sort of protection such as refugee status, and 9% (452) had been removed from the country. But 56% (2,812) still did not have a final outcome in their case.
The Home Office welcomed the analysis, which it said supported “the case for fundamental reform of the asylum system”.
Most of the cases in the remaining group (2,021 out of the 2,812) remained in a sort of “limbo”, with no appeal lodged.
Read more: BBC news, Daniel Sandford, https://shorturl.at/3h1Zl