PM'S TWIN WIN
Rishi Sunak kicks off year claiming double-win on small boats – with backlog of asylum cases cleared & crossings down
Illegal work raids are also up 68 per cent on last year, the Home Office claimed
RISHI Sunak last night kicked off a do-or-die election year claiming a double-win on small boats.
The PM revealed the groaning backlog of 92,000 legacy asylum cases had finally been cleared.
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And stats confirmed that total Channel crossings in 2023 were down on the previous year for the first time ever - and by as much as 64 per cent in the final three months.
In a New Year statement of intent, Mr Sunak said: “I am determined to end the burden of illegal migration on the British people.”
But he insisted he was not “complacent” and still laser-focused on getting Rwanda flights off by the spring.
As both parties rev up for a 2024 election, the Tories are preparing to make tackling illegal immigration a central issue where No10 believes it is making serious headway.
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Mr Sunak is today trumpeting success in clearing the backlog of illegal migrants who claimed asylum before June 2022 but were still awaiting a decision.
Around 112,000 claims were processed in 2023, with 86,800 in the legacy backlog resulting in a decision.
Some 67 per cent of asylum claims were granted, although the Home Office stressed this was down from 76 per cent in 2022.
Of the 112,000 asylum cases processed, some 77,000 were "substantive decisions" with a final result.
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With a grant rate of 67 per cent, it means 51,190 migrants were given asylum last year.
A further 4,500 migrants have been flagged for additional checks for complex reasons, including those claiming to be children or potential criminals.
Mr Sunak said by clearing the backlog “we are saving the taxpayer millions of pounds in expensive hotel costs, reducing strain on public services and ensuring the most vulnerable receive the right support.”
Figures released today are expected to show there are 98,000 asylum claims remaining in the total backlog.
Annual figures also showed 2023 small boat arrivals were 36 per cent lower than 2022, with 29,437 illegal journeys compared to 45,774.
In signs of progress, crossings in the second half of the year fell 45 per cent and a sharp 64 per cent in the final quarter compared to the same period in 2022.
While his Rwanda plan has been gummed up in legal battles, Mr Sunak has hailed a half-billion-pound deal with France to ramp up their beach patrols and returns agreements with countries like Albania.
But the head of the immigration services union warned 2023 was a “glitch” and will see “certainly more” crossings than last year.
Lucy Moreton told the BBC that the "planning assumption" is that last year was "unusually low and there have been other confounding factors" like bad weather.
Mr Sunak said: “We cannot be complacent, which is why I am focused on delivering on my commitment to stop the boats and get flights off the ground to Rwanda.”
Illegal work raids are also up 68 per cent on last year, the Home Office claimed.
Last night former immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: "The clearance of the legacy asylum backlog is a promise kept.
"But ultimately this is just managing the symptoms of the problem, not solving it.
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"The only thing that matters is stopping illegal arrivals. The government must do more."
Labour’s shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said: “The asylum backlog has rocketed to 165,000 under the Tories - eight times higher than when Labour left office - and no slicing or renaming the figures can disguise that fact.”
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