10,000 missing asylum seekers ‘too difficult to find’

A report has highlighted the increased difficulty in enforcing immigration rules
A report has highlighted the increased difficulty in enforcing immigration rules
GETTY IMAGES

The government has stopped chasing 10,000 asylum seekers who have absconded within Britain because they are a “drain on resources”, according to a report by the chief inspector of borders and immigration.

A further 30,406 asylum seekers had not been removed from the country or been given permission to stay two years after their appeal rights had been exhausted.

The extent of the Home Office’s failure to remove unsuccessful asylum seekers was outlined by David Bolt, the chief inspector of borders. His report, published yesterday, also highlighted the increasing difficulty faced in enforcing immigration rules. It said that 47,000 people were required to report to immigration authorities and that this number was rising, putting a strain on resources.

Asylum applications have ranged from 21,800 to