Background
The Home Office is responsible for asylum and protection in the UK, including ensuring compliance with the UK’s legal commitments. It is responsible for processing claims and supporting people seeking asylum who are destitute, by providing financial support and accommodation. In doing so it works with:
- the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service on asylum decision appeals
- the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and local authorities across the UK on accommodation and wider support
- the Department for Education on support for unaccompanied children seeking asylum
In June 2023 we reported on the asylum and protection transformation programme. We reported then that the Home Office was not on track to achieve the full benefits it expected of the programme. We also concluded that the Home Office plans were necessary, but not sufficient, to address the pressures in the asylum system.
The current government has ambitions to reform the asylum system, including reducing the backlog of people awaiting decisions and ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.
Scope
This audit will cover the end-to-end management of the asylum system, from the point at which a person lodges an application in the UK to the conclusion of their journey through the system including, for those not granted asylum, up to the point of their removal from the UK.
Our focus is on highlighting the causes and constraints that need to be addressed to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary cost and drive more effective, high-quality outcomes. We will bring together data and insights from across the asylum system in an analysis of the journey of people seeking asylum, the flow and quality of data, and the interactions between organisations.
This system analysis is intended to support ongoing Parliamentary scrutiny and further audit work on this complex area of public spending.
NAO team
Director: Ruth Kelly
Audit Manager: Antonia Gracie