UN Probe Exposes Home Office Failures

Migrants risk being granted asylum in Britain despite not being entitled to protection because of catastrophic failings inside the Home Office, according to a damning United Nations audit reported by GB News. Investigators found that just 52 per cent of decisions assessed met the department’s quality standards in 2023/24.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees delivered a devastating verdict on the state of Britain’s asylum decision-making, revealing the worst performance ever recorded. The figure represents a sharp decline from 72 per cent the previous year.

Systemic Flaws in Processing

According to GB News, the UN probe warned that flawed decisions could go in both directions, leaving genuine refugees at risk of refusal while granting protection to individuals who are not entitled to it. Researchers uncovered a catalogue of basic procedural errors during their investigation.

• Only 52 per cent of decisions met quality standards in 2023/24
• Repeated failure to probe material facts during interviews
• Excessive reliance on closed questions by officials
• Interpreters condensing answers rather than translating fully

The United Nations, hardly a hostile witness, has told the Home Office that it is granting asylum to people who are not entitled to it.

— Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, GB News

Investigators examined thirty asylum interviews and separate case files, while directly observing another thirty interviews. In nearly a third of the cases examined, the migrant’s full reasons for claiming asylum remained unclear by the conclusion of the questioning process.

Political Reaction

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp seized on the findings to criticise the administration’s handling of the border. He highlighted that 58,000 people had been granted asylum or leave to remain over the past year, marking a 10 per cent increase.

The Home Office faces mounting scrutiny over the findings as pressure intensifies on ministers to address quality controls and processing standards across the immigration department.

Original source: Read the full report at GB News