Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Britain scraps interviews for 12,000 asylum seekers to speed up process

Britain scraps interviews for 12,000 asylum seekers to speed up process

BRITAIN will scrap the requirement for around 12,000 asylum seekers to undergo face-to-face interviews and instead ask them to fill out a questionnaire, the government said on Thursday (23), in an attempt to clear record levels of backlogs.

The Home Office said all asylum seekers would still be subject to mandatory security checks and those who fail to respond to the questionnaire could see their claims withdrawn.

"We are working to speed up asylum processing so that people do not wait months or years in the backlog, at vast expense to the taxpayer, and to remove everyone who doesn’t have a legitimate reason to be here," a Home Office spokesperson said.

The 12,000 asylum seekers belong to countries from which a high proportion of individuals are typically granted asylum — Syria, Eritrea, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan - the Home Office said.

Official data showed a record 160,919 asylum seekers were awaiting an initial decision on their claim at the end of 2022 — over three times the figure three years ago.

"To ensure our processes remain robust and all claims are properly considered, we have recruited hundreds of case workers to crack through cases," the Home Office spokesperson added.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has made curbing illegal migration a priority, promising new legislation to prevent migrants who cross the English Channel from remaining in the country and vowing to clear the backlog of asylum cases by the end of this year.

The questionnaire contains 50 questions that must be answered in English, and claimants would have 20 working days to complete it, according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.

Refugee campaign groups criticised the changes as unfair, arguing it made complicated demands of people who know little to no English and have just fled war or persecution.

The British Red Cross said speeding up the asylum process for people from nations with the highest grant rates was a "common sense decision" that was long overdue but that the reported 20-day time limit could have "devastating impacts" and create more work for the Home Office.

(Reuters)

More For You

Trump plans to meet Starmer 'very soon'

Keir Starmer, Donald Trump. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump plans to meet Starmer 'very soon'

US president Donald Trump said he had agreed to meet prime minister Keir Starmer and that the British leader wanted to travel to the US in the coming weeks.

Starmer's office had said earlier on Friday (14) that he discussed visiting the US on a call with Trump the day before, part of London's efforts to press its case with a US president whose overhaul of trade and foreign policy has shaken much of the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

A COURT in India has found Vikat Bhagat guilty of the rape and murder of Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alderman Alastair King

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, 'Growth Unleashed.'

Lord Mayor of London to visit India for trade talks

THE LORD MAYOR of London, Alderman Alastair King, is set to visit India for a week starting Saturday, aiming to promote free trade and capital flows between the two countries.

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, “Growth Unleashed.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Pablo-Escobar-merchandise-Getty

Escobar, killed by security forces in 1993, remains a figure of global interest, with his image appearing on souvenirs like T-shirts, mugs, and keychains. (Photo: Getty Images)

Colombia considers ban on Pablo Escobar merchandise

COLOMBIA’s Congress is considering a bill that would ban the sale of merchandise featuring drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals.

The proposed law aims to curb the glorification of Escobar, who was responsible for thousands of deaths during his time leading the Medellín cartel, reported BBC.

Keep ReadingShow less
Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Polls show most Britons back assisted dying, with supporters calling for the law to reflect public opinion.

Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Eastern Eye

THE proposed new assisted dying law for terminally ill people will be amended to remove the requirement that a high court judge sign off on each case, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said on Tuesday (11).

Opponents of assisted dying said the change would weaken the safeguards around protecting vulnerable people from being coerced or pressured into taking their own lives.

Keep ReadingShow less