The Home Office has acknowledged it does not know the whereabouts of more than 17,000 asylum seekers whose claims have been discontinued. The figure emerged during a session of the Home Affairs Select Committee, where MPs discussed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's target to clear the asylum backlog by the end of the year.
Simon Ridley, a senior Home Office official, told the committee: 'I don't think we know where all these people are.' When asked if some had returned to their home countries, Ridley said he did not know. The withdrawals occur when claimants fail to respond to two successive interview requests or questionnaires from caseworkers.
Since December last year, 17,316 applications have been withdrawn. In 2021, 2,141 applications were refused or withdrawn, compared to 24,403 in 2004. When an application is withdrawn, the claimant remains in the UK illegally and can be removed.
The government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda continues, with officials in Kigali finalising a treaty after the Supreme Court ruled the scheme unlawful due to risks of return to home countries. The Home Office's most senior civil servant, Sir Matthew Rycroft, said the government remained confident in meeting the backlog target, having hired more case workers.
Conservative MP Tim Loughton questioned the increase in withdrawals, calling it 'convenient' ahead of the target. Meanwhile, Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson criticised the lack of transparency over payments to Rwanda, with Sir Matthew hinting at additional sums beyond the £140m already disclosed, but refusing to confirm until summer.
