Latest news with #MatthewRycroft
Telegraph
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Migrant hotel use soars despite Labour pledge to scrap them
The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has increased by more than 8,000 since the election despite Labour's pledge to end their use, Home Office figures have revealed. Some 38,079 migrants were being housed in asylum hotels at the end of December last year, up from 29,585 in June 2024, an increase of nearly 29 per cent in six months. The data also showed that a record 108,138 people applied for asylum in the UK last year, the highest number for any 12-month period since records began in 2001. It is up 18 per cent from 91,811 in 2023 and reflects increasing numbers of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam who have overstayed their visas claiming asylum. Small boat arrivals accounted for only 32 per cent of asylum claims. The surge in asylum seekers in hotels follows an admission from Sir Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office's top civil servant, that hotels are set to continue to be used to house them for up to the next four years. It contrasts with a declared pre-election ambition by Labour to ' end the use of hotels for asylum seekers within 12 months' of recruiting 1,000 caseworkers to tackle the backlog of applications. The party's manifesto did not set a similar timescale and simply stated that a Labour government would 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds'. Since coming to power, Labour ministers have acknowledged that it 'will take time' and pledged their 'intention' to end asylum hotels 'as soon as possible'. The number of hotels reached a peak of 400 under the Tories in autumn 2023 housing some 56,000 asylum seekers at a cost of £3 billion to the taxpayer. It had fallen to 213 by the time of the election last July but had risen to 220 by last October housing some 35,000. The number housed had risen by a further 3,000 to 38,079 by Dec 31. Last month, Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, admitted there had been a net rise of six hotels but nine were scheduled to close by the end of March. Labour has ramped up efforts to clear the backlog with a five-fold increase in the number of asylum applications being processed since the election to more than 10,000 a month. However, this has been tempered by the arrival of more than 25,000 migrants who have been intercepted crossing the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister. Asylum applications hit their highest point on record, crossing 100,000 for the first time since 2002, and beating the previous record of 103,081 in the 12 months to December 2002. Pakistanis claiming asylum rose 79 per cent in the latest year to 10,542, accounting for one in 10 of all applications, while claims from Vietnamese nationals more than doubled to 5,259 They were followed by Afghans (8,508), Iranians (8,099), Bangladeshi (7,225) and Syrians (7,225). Some 5,312 Indians applied – despite a success rate in applications of less than one per cent. Some 39,616 people were granted refugee protection or other leave to remain in the UK, 37 per cent fewer than in 2023. Fewer than half (47 per cent) of asylum claims were granted last year, down from 67 per cent in 2023, reflecting the higher standard of proof required by the Tories' Nationality and Borders Act 2022. The backlog of asylum claims fell from 128,786 to 124,802. This is down from 160,919 in 2022 – but still higher than 51,228 in 2019. Some 36,816 people arrived in the UK on small boats last year, 25 per cent more than in 2023 (29,437). Afghans remained the biggest nationality with 5,919 arrivals in 2024. There was, however, a noticeable spike of Yemenis from 91 to 1280 and Vietnamese from 1,306 to 3,602. Enforced returns of foreign criminals and illegal migrants increased by 28 per cent year-on-year to 8,164 in 2024. However, this remains significantly below the high of 21,425 in 2004. The number of people coming to the UK to work, study or join family fell by 460,000. Work visas fell by 37 per cent to 210,000 while visas for study were down by 14 per cent to 393,000. Some 417,157 people were granted an extension to stay in the UK on their work or graduate visas, nearly seven times the number in 2019.
Telegraph
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Migrant hotels set to be used for four more years as Labour pushes back deadline again
Hotels are set to continue to be used to house asylum seekers for up to the next four years, the Home Office's top civil servant has admitted. Sir Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office's permanent secretary, said the department's 'overarching aim' was to 'exit' hotels by the end of the Parliament, which is due at the latest by August 2029. His statement to MPs on the Commons home affairs committee contrasts with a declared pre-election ambition by Labour to 'end the use of hotels for asylum seekers within 12 months' of recruiting 1,000 caseworkers to tackle the backlog of applications. The party's manifesto did not set a similar timescale and simply stated that a Labour Government would 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds.' Since coming to power, Labour ministers have acknowledged that it 'will take time' and pledged their 'intention' to end asylum hotels 'as soon as possible.' The number of hotels reached a peak of 400 under the Tories in autumn 2023, when it housed around 56,000 asylum seekers at a cost of £3 billion to the taxpayer. It had fallen to 213 by the time of the election last July but had risen to 220 by last October, housing some 35,000. Last month, Dame Angela Eagle, the Border Security Minister, admitted there had been a net rise of six hotels but said that nine were scheduled to close by the end of March. Labour has ramped up efforts to clear the backlog, with a five-fold increase in the number of asylum applications being processed since the election to around 10,000 a month. However, this has been tempered by the arrival of more than 25,000 migrants who have been intercepted crossing the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister. Sir Matthew said the Government had abandoned the Tory policy of using 'large and novel' sites such as the Bibby barge and former military bases. Instead, he said it was exiting hotels through using a large number of smaller sites, some of which would be bought by the Home Office but also included private rental properties. Sir Matthew, who is stepping down from his post in March, said: 'The overarching aim continues to be to exit hotels by the end of the Parliament, but…the journey is off to a good start. It is down from more than 400 to 218.' He added: 'It will continue to go down, but it might also, on some occasions, go up, because it is a statutory obligation to provide that accommodation and sometimes hotels are the only possible way of doing that.' Government sources said Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, had been working on a 'sustainable and permanent exit from asylum hotels' since entering office. However, they claimed the task had been made harder by the 'appalling state' of the asylum system left by the Conservatives. 'They ground the whole system to a halt, meaning people were staying in hotels indefinitely with no prospect of removal,' said one source. 'We are getting a grip on the mess we inherited. Thousands more asylum decisions are being made each month and changes have been made to the move-on period to ensure people can exit hotels as smoothly as possible. We are increasing removals of those with no right to be here and cracking down on illegal working.' There were around 97,170 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision in September 2024, down from a peak of around 134,000 in June 2023. There are a record 34,169 outstanding immigration appeals, with many using human rights laws to try to block their deportation from the UK. A source said: 'There is more to do and we are working with the Ministry of Justice to speed up the asylum appeals system to start tackling the asylum appeals backlog. This is the hard graft needed to get a grip of a system the Tories left in utter chaos.' Ms Cooper said: 'Whether it be about foreign national offenders in our jail, visa overstayers or failed asylum cases, the rules should be enforced. This is about basic respect and making the system work properly.'
The Independent
13-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Windrush commissioner ‘must hold Government to account'
An 'outstanding candidate' is being sought to take on a role which campaigners said must see the Government held to account over its engagement with the Windrush community. The post of Windrush commissioner has been advertised as a three-day week role with an annual salary of £130,000 and for a three-year term. Last October Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that, as per Labour's manifesto, a commissioner would be appointed as she committed to a 'fundamental reset of the response to this scandal'. (The commissioner must) have the power and resources to engage with Windrush victims and community advocacy organisations, hold the Government to account and drive positive change Jeremy Crook, Action for Race Equality The Windrush scandal – which campaigners have since said should be known as the Home Office scandal – erupted in 2018 when British citizens were wrongly detained, deported or threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in Britain. Many lost homes and jobs and were denied access to healthcare and benefits. The job description published on Thursday, and open for applicants until March 20, states that the commissioner will work with the Home Office 'to deliver long-awaited justice for the Windrush and Commonwealth communities, and to drive real and sustained cultural change across the department'. But it adds that the chosen person will be independent of the Home Office, 'serving as an independent advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities'. I am looking for an outstanding candidate to take on the post of Windrush commissioner, someone with... the ability to engage with a diverse range of individuals, including victims, their families Sir Matthew Rycroft Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft, in a foreword to the appointment, said: 'I am looking for an outstanding candidate to take on the post of Windrush commissioner, someone with a proven track record of strategic leadership, a clear vision for driving impactful change, and the ability to engage with a diverse range of individuals, including victims, their families, representatives, and stakeholders from across a range of backgrounds and viewpoints.' Jeremy Crook, chief executive of Action for Race Equality, said the commissioner must have 'the power and resources to engage with Windrush victims and community advocacy organisations, hold the Government to account and drive positive change'. The Black Equity Organisation (BEO), said: 'We are encouraged to hear that one of the Windrush Commissioner's responsibilities is to 'act as a trusted voice for victims and Windrush communities and relevant organisations affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal'. 'We look forward to knowing who has been appointed to fill this important role and await details of the independent Advisory Assessment Panel members who are to be recruited as part of the selection panel.' Migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra said the appointment 'will mark a vital step in resetting the Government's response to the Home Office Windrush scandal and delivering the change that the victims of this scandal want and deserve to see'. She added: 'This independent advocate will ensure the voices of victims and communities are heard and acted on throughout government. 'By engaging with communities, driving improvements, and holding government to account, the commissioner will help ensure that lasting change is delivered and the lessons of the past are truly learned. 'The Home Secretary and I look forward to working side by side with the successful candidate in this crucial work to ensure that such an injustice can never happen again, and that dignity is restored to those who have suffered.'
