Rishi risks another asylum outcry

With the likelihood of a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol fading this week, a new issue has emerged to enrage the Tory right: fresh plans to cut tackle the asylum backlog. Asylum seekers will no longer be subjected to face-to-face interviews, with more than 12,000 migrants from five countries having their claims assessed on paper instead. These five countries – Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Eritrea and Yemen – have the highest asylum success rate. Asylum seekers will have 20 days to fill in and return the fast-track official forms. Officials expect 95 per cent of applicants to be given leave to remain for at least five years, although those who fail to complete the ten-page form ‘without reasonable explanation’ could have their claims withdrawn. The vast majority are expected to be allowed to stay in the UK without an interview. This system is part of Rishi Sunak’s pledge to clear a backlog of more than 90,000 outstanding ‘older’ asylum claims by the end of this year.