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UK National Audit Office publications

Work in Progress: Management of Asylum

A new process - the New Asylum Model – has been put in place by the UK Border Agency (the Agency) to manage Asylum claims. In this end-to-end process, a nominated Case Owner manages each Asylum case from application to conclusion and the applicant is either granted leave to remain as a refugee, or is refused and returned to their country of origin. Asylum cases began to be managed using the new process in late 2006 and by March 2007, 100 per cent of new cases were being managed in this way. By the end of 2011, the Agency aims to conclude 90 per cent of new asylum claims within 6 months from application. A separate process has also been established to manage some 420,000 legacy cases (all unresolved cases commenced before the introduction of the New Asylum Model) and to conclude them all by 2011.

Our study focuses on whether the Agency is improving the management of Asylum applications. We will examine:

• whether the New Asylum Model is efficient and effective;
• whether the Agency has a realistic plan for managing and concluding the 400,000-450,000 legacy cases;
• whether the Agency's Asylum processes are able to cope with demand; and
• where Asylum or leave to remain is refused, whether removal is implemented effectively.

Publication Schedule

We intend to publish our report in late 2008.

Members of the NAO Team

For further information about this investigation, please contact Mark Parrett at the number above or email mark.parrett@nao.gsi.gov.uk.

Media contacts: Mark Anderson
Press Office
T: 020 7798 7558
Email Mark Anderson through our enquiries desk; please mark your email for his attention