news > news releases

Government urged to improve decision-making as one in four refused asylum applications overturned on appeal

REFUGEE Action today urged the Home Office to improve its asylum decision-making process as it was revealed that one in four refused asylum applications are overturned on appeal.

Today's Control of Immigration statistics showed that in 2008 the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal granted protection to almost a quarter of the asylum seekers it saw after the government had wrongly refuse them.

And the figures revealed that forty per cent of people from war-torn Somalia and almost half of the applicants from Eritrea who appealed were wrongly refused at their first interview.

Sandy Buchan, the Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: "We welcome the fact that the decision-making process has sped up significantly with the introduction of the new asylum model. But it’s imperative that accuracy is not sacrificed for the sake of speed. When you are dealing with people facing imprisonment, torture or murder, you simply cannot afford to get decisions wrong”.

He added:

“We have seen people who have not been able to get legal advice before they have had their first interview and have struggled to find a solicitor to represent them at appeal, which puts them at a great disadvantage. Many of the asylum seekers we see are extremely traumatised having been raped or tortured in their own countries and it is important that they are given the right support to make a full and thorough application for protection."

Refugee Action is also concerned at the low proportion of people who are granted Humanitarian Protection, with less than 1 per cent of applicants receiving HP on initial decision in 2008. Sandy Buchan said "We would like to see an increase in grants of temporary renewable Humanitarian Protection for those who don't qualify for asylum but who are from countries where there is widespread conflict or human rights abuses. We believe there are many people who are currently refused need protection until the situation in their country improves."

ENDS

For more information contact Julia Ravenscroft, Press Officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 233 1956 or 07771 748 159 or on Juliar@refugee-action.org.uk.

Notes:

To see today's Control of Immigration Statistics go to
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and support their settlement through community development work. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 27 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees and advised more than 40,000 asylum seekers and refugees last year.