John
01-11-2011, 07:47 AM
At least 60,000 asylum seekers will be lost without trace as the UK Border Agency struggles to clear its backlog of claims.
They will be left in limbo as their claims are consigned to a growing pile of applications unlikely to ever be resolved, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee says.
UKBA has a backlog of up to 450,000 unresolved asylum cases with some dating back more than a decade.
In a critical report, the MPs found the UKBA was "still failing to meet expectations" with delays and backlogs due "at least in part to inadequate decision-making".
"We are concerned about the high proportion of cases which will be left, in effect, in limbo," the report said.
"Again, this points to the vital need to deal with cases as expeditiously as possible and not to let backlogs grow."
Keith Vaz, committee chairman, added: "Much of the delay in concluding asylum and other immigration cases stems from poor quality decision-making when the application is initially considered.
"The UK Border Agency has made some progress over the last few years in relation to new procedures and approaches, but is still failing to meet expectations.
"More consistent and rigorous scrutiny of applications would lead to fewer delays, fewer appeals, less uncertainty for the applicant, less pressure on the officials themselves, and probably lower costs for the UK taxpayer."
Greater investment in staff training and a "more consistent and considered direction from those setting policy" may both be needed, he said.
Source - Yahoo.
They will be left in limbo as their claims are consigned to a growing pile of applications unlikely to ever be resolved, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee says.
UKBA has a backlog of up to 450,000 unresolved asylum cases with some dating back more than a decade.
In a critical report, the MPs found the UKBA was "still failing to meet expectations" with delays and backlogs due "at least in part to inadequate decision-making".
"We are concerned about the high proportion of cases which will be left, in effect, in limbo," the report said.
"Again, this points to the vital need to deal with cases as expeditiously as possible and not to let backlogs grow."
Keith Vaz, committee chairman, added: "Much of the delay in concluding asylum and other immigration cases stems from poor quality decision-making when the application is initially considered.
"The UK Border Agency has made some progress over the last few years in relation to new procedures and approaches, but is still failing to meet expectations.
"More consistent and rigorous scrutiny of applications would lead to fewer delays, fewer appeals, less uncertainty for the applicant, less pressure on the officials themselves, and probably lower costs for the UK taxpayer."
Greater investment in staff training and a "more consistent and considered direction from those setting policy" may both be needed, he said.
Source - Yahoo.