Shocking figures have revealed that a growing number of failed asylum seekers have been able to secretly return to the UK and successfully make a second claim, resulting in them being allowed to stay. In the latest available statistics for 2021, a total of 113 "boomerang refugees" were granted successful claims, despite being previously refused and removed from the country. This marks an increase from the 39 cases in 2020 and the 50 cases in 2019.

Successful claims lodged years after initial rejection

The figures, obtained from the Home Office, highlight that some failed asylum seekers waited years before making new claims, while others lodged their second claims just weeks after being turned down for the first time. The report reveals that the individuals involved in these cases came from various countries, including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, and Albania.

Examples of successful second claims

In one case, an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK in April 2020 had their initial application refused and was subsequently returned to France in August of the same year. However, just two months later, they reappeared in the UK and submitted another asylum claim, which was approved ten months later.

Another example involves a claimant who arrived in the UK in July 1998. After their first claim was rejected in April 2007, they were returned to Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, 12 years later, in 2019, they returned to the UK. Their second claim took two years to process before it was granted.

Concerns and reactions

Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, expressed his bafflement at the reversals of earlier decisions, stating that failed applicants and their legal representatives seem to learn from previous failures and modify their claims accordingly. He also raised concerns about the perception of the UK as a gullible and soft touch, with taxpayers bearing the cost of these reversals.

A spokesperson from the Home Office defended the consideration of asylum applications based on individual merits and noted that changes in personal circumstances or conditions in the applicants' home countries are taken into account. The spokesperson also mentioned the government's efforts to address illegal migration through the Illegal Migration Act, which aims to detain and promptly remove those who arrive in the UK illegally.