Asylum seekers in Warrington up by 200 per cent in 12 months

Figures released by the Home Office show that the number of people seeking asylum in Warrington has increased to almost 250 individuals, as of December 2022.

This is a 207 per cent increase - more than triple - from the 81 registered asylum seekers in 2021.

❗️The majority of people crossing the channel and applying for asylum go on to be recognised as refugees by the UK Government.

Many are from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Eritrea, where they are at risk from war, violence, and persecution. pic.twitter.com/cmify0vsZq

— Refugee Council 🧡 (@refugeecouncil) February 12, 2023

There are a number of different schemes to help support those seeking asylum, including Section 95 support and Section 98 support.

Section 95 support gives individuals financial support and accommodation, as they do not yet have the legal right to work in the UK.

Whereas Section 98 support is given to those waiting for Section 95 support who are in danger of destitution.

In Warrington, 170 asylum seekers were in receipt of Section 98 support as of December, whereas 75 were receiving Section 95 support.

The data concludes that this marks the highest-ever level of asylum seekers in Warrington awaiting a decision on their asylum request.

According to the UN, an 'asylum seeker' is an individual who has left their home nation and is seeking international protection - this could be someone fleeing a warzone, for example.

The figures come as the UK's backlog in asylum applications topped 160,900.

This was up 60 per cent from 100,600 for the same period in 2021, and the highest figure since current records began in 2010.

CEO of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, said: "We need an asylum system that isn’t just about control, but is also about compassion and competence."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to clear the 92,600 initial asylum claims in the system at the end of June 2022 by the end of 2023, but it is being described as a 'major headache' for the Government by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.

Figures released this week show that far too many people, like Mohammed*, are waiting long periods to restart their lives. The asylum system can and should be run better – for Mohammed*, for the taxpayer, and for the sake of public trust.

*Name and image changed. pic.twitter.com/gI1tUbCTf9

— Refugee Council 🧡 (@refugeecouncil) February 26, 2023

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our priority is to stop the boats and ensure that people who come here illegally are detained and swiftly removed.

“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.

“To ensure our processes remain robust and all claims are properly considered, we have recruited hundreds of caseworkers to crack through cases."

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