In The Press

Asylum seekers with strong cases are being pushed to the back of the Home Office queue so that officials can reject at least 60% of their applicants, according to immigration lawyers.

Those with clients at the appeals stage say that it has become common practice by the Home Office to withdraw strong cases at the last minute to protect the 60% “win rate” target which is adding to a backlog of half a million of unresolved cases and causing suffering to those who have a right to be here but are kept in limbo.

James Packer, head of public law at legal aid firm Duncan Lewis solicitors said;



The whole thing is a scandal. Very often decisions are withdrawn at the last moment because it is apparent that if the appeal were heard it would succeed. The tribunal has no power to prevent this, and a case can sit there for another year or more before a fresh decision is made, causing real suffering and preventing people from getting on with their lives. That’s the mischief they create to defend their “win rates”.