Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims have been made in the UK since 1 January 2021; and how many of those claims have been found inadmissible under the terms of the immigration rules introduced by the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 1043, published on 10 December 2020.
Answer
The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the âImmigration Statistics Quarterly Releaseâ. Data on the number of asylum applications are published in Table Asy_D01 and data on the number and type of asylum initial decisions are published in table Asy_D02 of the Asylum and Resettlement datasets.
Figures on the number of asylum application decisions made in the first quarter of 2021 are due to be published on 27 May 2021. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the âResearch and statistics calendarâ. We are working to bring inadmissibility decisions in line with current reporting and hope to publish that information in the same timeframe.
We are reviewing the cases of those who claimed asylum before 1 January and their suitability for decision-making under the new rules. If it is appropriate for any claimants to receive decisions under the new provisions, they will be informed of that, in line with the Home Office published policy guidance.
The Home Office current published guidance is clear that we will serve an inadmissibility decision only when an individualâs return is agreed by a third country. The Home Office continues to work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development to secure agreements to enable returns to be made. Any case where return is not possible within 6 months from the date of claim will be admitted to the asylum process and will have their asylum claim substantively considered in the UK.
Information on the Home Office inadmissibility rules can be found on gov.uk under âInadmissibility: third country casesâ.