How should the government reform Britain's asylum system?

Britain’s asylum system is in need of reform. At the end of last year, there were 166,261 asylum applications awaiting a decision – a 200 per cent increase from just three years ago. As a result of slow decision making, there’s a bottleneck in the system, meaning normal asylum accommodation is full and £5.6 million is being spent every day on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers. New plans announced in March also mean asylum-seekers currently in hotels will be moved to disused army barracks and barges.

The Prime Minister recognised the degree of public concern in his pledge to stop dangerous journeys being made across the Channel in small boats. But the crossings are just one symptom of an asylum system which is struggling to meet its obligations. And with the humanitarian crises of the past decade – Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine – the stakes are only getting higher.

Whatever the solution, there is undoubtably an urgency in the humanitarian situation

But is the political will there to find an effective solution? Will the public be willing to accept what the government is offering? In early February, The Spectator hosted a panel discussion, chaired by our editor Fraser Nelson, to answer a vital question: can Britain’s asylum system be fixed?

Held in association with the British Red Cross, the panel drew experts from the media, politics, and the charity sector.