The Home Office has apologised to asylum seekers who were granted leave to remain in the UK only to have their decisions retracted shortly after. In some cases, applicants received residence permits before being told to cut them up.
Charities report multiple instances where individuals celebrated their approval, only to be informed days or weeks later that a mistake had been made. Officials have not disclosed the number of people affected.
One asylum seeker described receiving a letter stating his claim was successful, granting refugee status and five years' permission to stay. Weeks later, he received another letter saying it was due to a technical fault and he must destroy his biometric residence permit.
In another case, an Iranian couple was phoned by a Home Office contractor confirming leave to remain, only to be told two days later it was a mistake and their case was rejected. Two months later, they were again granted asylum, causing emotional distress.
A third case involved a woman evicted from a hotel after being told she had leave to remain, though no formal letter was sent. She later received advice on voluntary return to her home country.
Lou Calvey of Asylum Matters called it 'sheer torment' and urged the government to rebuild asylum processing. A Home Office spokesperson apologised for any distress and committed to improving decision-making accuracy.
