Since 2010, the amount of taxpayer money spent on the asylum
system has increased fourfold from £550m to £2.1bn in 2021
according to the Government’s own accounts.
There was a further substantial increase in costs in 2022 as
slower asylum decisions, the rising backlog and the Home
Secretary’s last minute decision making led to a huge increase in
costly hotel use.
After 13 years of Tory mismanagement, the asylum system is
completely broken and British taxpayers are paying the
price.
In the first financial year of the Tory government £567,856,116
was spent processing asylum claims and on accommodation, by
2021/22 costs had risen to £2,115,584,829.
It is expected to increase further when the figures for 2022/23
are published, as recent estimates show that an additional £2.4
billion from the overseas aid budget was used to support the
asylum system in the 2022 calendar year, on top of normal asylum
costs.
This comes as last week the government announced that the asylum
backlog reached a new record higher of 173,000, despite Rishi
Sunak’s promise to “bust” the system. The government is
processing even fewer of the cases. Over the past year, only 1%
of small boat asylum cases have had a decision made -
whilst since 2011, the productivity rate of Home Office
caseworkers has fallen from 14 decisions per month in 2011 and 18
in 2016, to just 5 per month in the last financial
year.
Labour will tackle dangerous boat crossings that are undermining
border security and putting lives at risk. The Party will crack
down on people smuggler gangs, secure returns agreements with
Europe, reform resettlement schemes, and support for people in
the region.
Labour has a plan to fast track asylum decisions and
returns of those with failed claims to end hotel use.
MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, said:
“After 13 years, the Tories have broken the asylum system and
these figures prove it.”
“Nothing the government is doing is working, and their
legislation is making the situation worse with more people stuck
in the system than ever before.”
"Labour has set out serious plans for a cross-border
police unit, fast-tracking to clear the backlog and a proper deal
with Europe on safe returns.”
Ends
Notes
|
Financial Year
|
Total Asylum Costs
|
|
2010/11
|
£567,856,116
|
|
2011/12
|
£538,063,196
|
|
2012/13
|
£500,219,742
|
|
2013/14
|
£449,553,754
|
|
2014/15
|
£474,340,920
|
|
2015/16
|
£546,895,592
|
|
2016/17
|
£606,008,945
|
|
2017/18
|
£630,742,805
|
|
2018/19
|
£732,527,606
|
|
2019/20
|
£956,188,435
|
|
2020/21
|
£1,359,145,699
|
|
2021/22
|
£2,115,584,829
|
Home Office Transparency data, Immigration and protection data:
Q1 2023,Table ASY_04.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q1-2023
