Press Release - Asylum and migration: a review of Home Office
statistics
25 May 2004
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported
today the results of his independent review of the Home Office’s
quarterly asylum statistics published alongside this report. This
work was carried out by the NAO in response to an invitation from
the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office in April 2004 to:
- Assess the data reliability of the quarterly asylum statistics
released by the Home Office;
- Assess whether the process for compiling those statistics is in
line with the guidelines and standards of the Office for National
Statistics for compiling National Statistics;
- On the basis of the statistical evidence, consider whether
recent changes in the number of asylum applications have had any
significant impact on other forms of migration;
- Make recommendations for tackling any weaknesses the audit may
reveal;
- Publish report alongside the release of the next quarterly
asylum statistics on 25 May.
The National Audit Office found that:
The asylum data and statistics are in most respects reliable,
including the Home Office reporting that the number of asylum
applications halved between October 2002 and September 2003.
There are however several weaknesses in the process of compiling
the statistics and in their presentation, some of which impact on
other items in the published statistics.
The Home Office applies the ONS Code of Practice and Protocols
well in some areas, but there is scope for the Home Office to
consult users more, present the statistics more clearly and improve
their coverage. The Home Office has appropriate practices in place
to ensure the integrity of its asylum statistics in line with
established protocols.
There is no clear statistical evidence that the reduction in the
number of asylum applications has had any significant impact on
other forms of migration.
Reasons for migration are extremely complex and a change in
numbers for any route of entry may reflect the operation of a broad
range of factors. Often, these factors work independently of one
another and reflect decisions taken by a myriad of people and
organisations, including migrants themselves, governments and other
organisations, in response to changing circumstances.
Reductions in the number of asylum applications can be
explained, in part, by measures taken by the government to manage
down the intake of asylum seekers, alongside other wider trends.
The UK remains a very attractive destination for some people from
overseas. In the time available, the statistical analyses in this
Report focused on changes in the number of people entering the UK
through individual routes of entry. Further research might be
usefully carried out to compare asylum flows with the combined
statistics for all routes of entry and by nationality. This would
allow a broader picture to be obtained of any relationships that
exist between asylum and other forms of migration, rather than one
based only on individual routes.
Notes for Editors
- The Home Office today published its quarterly statistics on
asylum, available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
- The Office for National Statistics' Code of Practice and the
associated Protocols can be found at
www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website,
which is now at www.nao.org.uk. Hard copies can be
obtained from The Stationery Office
on 0845 702 3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 42/04
All enquiries to Bill Schaper, NAO Press Office:
Tel: 020 7798 7335
Mobile: 07795 120838