Refugee Council Comments on Home Office Statistics

The chief executive of the Refugee Council, Donna Covery, said in response to the publication on August 27 of the Home Office asylum and emigration statistics for the second quarter of 2010 that they are pleased that the government is currently looking into improving the asylum system. However, these statistics show how important it is that they acknowledge some of the serious failings of the asylum system itself.

Donna went on to say that, way too often, people seek safety in the UK and are let down by the asylum system. She said that these figures show that almost a third of appeals are still being allowed. This shows that a big proportion of asylum claims are being wrongly refused. With the government proposing further cuts to things like legal aid for asylum seekers, the Refugee Council is concerned that, without legal advice, many more asylum seekers will be wrongly refused.

Ms Covery went on to say that the detention figures are also cause for alarm. Almost 40 percent of people detained were later released back into their community. This shows that detaining them was unnecessary in the first place. Detention must only be used as a last resort, but that is not how it is currently being used.

Covery finished up by saying that they now urge the UK government to focus on improving the first stages of the asylum system. They want to ensure that people are supported throughout the process so that the right decisions are made the first time around. Not only will this save the public a lot of money, but it will help get people moved through the system faster and avoid costly legal challenges.