In the last year of Rishi Sunak’s administration, the UK saw a significant increase in the number of migrants being sent back to their home countries. Data from the Home Office reveals that from July 2022 to June 2023, the total number of returns rose by nearly 20%, reaching 53,228. This increase is part of a broader effort by the former Conservative government to speed up the processing of asylum claims and enforce a stricter asylum regime.
During this period, enforced returns jumped by 48% to 7,190. However, a larger number of people either returned voluntarily or were intercepted while attempting to enter the UK. Despite this, irregular arrivals, including those crossing the Channel in small boats or hiding in lorries, dropped by 26% to 38,784.
The government also made progress in reducing the backlog of asylum cases. By the end of June, the number of cases awaiting an initial decision had fallen to 85,839, a 36% decrease from the previous year. This reduction was driven by an increase in the number of caseworkers, which grew by 60% to 2,500. The former government’s efforts resulted in 91,885 initial decisions on asylum applications during this period, four times more than in the previous year. However, the proportion of protection grants, awarded to those fleeing danger or persecution, fell to less than 60%, down from 71% in the previous year.
Labour, now in power, has pledged to continue these efforts. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to increase migrant returns to levels last seen in 2018, with a target of 14,500 returns over the next six months. The Labour government also plans to establish a “returns unit” within the Home Office to rapidly review cases of people arriving from “safe” countries like Albania and India, as well as those whose asylum claims have been denied or who have committed criminal offenses.
The government aims to hire 1,000 staff for this unit, with 300 already in place. They also plan to negotiate bilateral returns agreements with countries deemed safe, such as Vietnam, Turkey, and Kurdistan, and to establish a new returns accord with the EU. Despite the overall decrease in irregular arrivals, the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats has increased by 10% this year, with over 19,200 people making the journey by August 19. A significant portion of these arrivals came from Vietnam, which saw a fourfold increase in the first half of the year.
The challenge of returning asylum seekers from conflict zones remains, as international law prohibits sending individuals back to countries where their safety could be at risk.