UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the government’s efforts in addressing the backlog of asylum applications, highlighting that a record-breaking number of migrants were granted the right to stay in the country. Last year, the Home Office cleared 112,000 asylum cases, with 51,469 individuals receiving asylum—surpassing the previous high in 2002. The backlog reduction is attributed to processing “legacy” claims made before June 28, 2022, when new asylum laws were implemented. Approximately 99,000 migrants still await decisions, down from 136,000 the previous year.
While Sunak emphasized the benefits of backlog clearance, critics, including Brexit leader Nigel Farage, accused the government of hastily approving asylum applications, and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick argued it addresses symptoms rather than solving the problem. Labour Party’s Stephen Kinnock accused the government of manipulating figures by excluding “complex” cases and those removed without decisions. The government defended the figures, stating some cases were dropped due to procedural issues, but they would be resubmitted. Sunak reiterated his commitment to curb illegal migration and address remaining challenges.
