World Immigration News

Is the government meeting its pledges on illegal immigration and asylum?

Release Date: 2025-05-22
Media: BBC
Summary: The UK government has made tackling illegal immigration and reforming the asylum system a top priority. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to "smash the gangs" behind people smuggling, continuing former PM Rishi Sunak’s aim to "stop the boats." However, small boat arrivals have reached record levels in 2025, indicating that progress has been limited.

Labour pledged to end the use of asylum hotels to cut costs, but the number of hotels in use actually increased between July and December 2024. These hotels, used due to a lack of alternative housing, remain expensive, costing £8 million per day.

Efforts to dismantle smuggling networks have seen some arrests and international cooperation, particularly with France. Yet, the government has not clearly defined how it measures success in this area, and key data is either unavailable or incomplete.

On asylum processing, decision-making has accelerated since the election, but record-high application numbers have meant that the overall backlog remains high. Appeals following rejected asylum claims have also risen sharply, adding further strain to the system.

Regarding removals, the number of returns has increased slightly, mostly due to voluntary departures rather than enforced removals. Many voluntary returns happened without government assistance or oversight, casting doubt on claims about the scale of government-led deportations.

In summary, while the government has made efforts across multiple fronts, results so far have fallen short of key pledges, and many challenges remain unresolved.
Tags: UK

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