House of Commons · Westminster Hall
27 June 2023 · 3 other contributors · 5,019 words
Opened by Gareth Bacon Con Orpington
Responding minister: Sarah Dines
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Gareth Bacon raised concerns about asylum applicants: mental health and wellbeing in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The hon. Member urges the Home Office to address cases like that of Mr A with urgency and compassion, calling on officials to review such applications promptly and take into account the mental health implications of prolonged uncertainty for individuals seeking asylum.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The hon. Member for Orpington is concerned about the high number of asylum seekers waiting more than six months for a decision on their claims, which rose from approximately 18,000 in 2019 to 60,000 by early 2021. He highlighted a specific case of Mr A, a Syrian refugee who has been waiting since March 2022 for an update on his asylum application and faced significant mental health issues due to the delay.
The hon. Member pays tribute to Gareth Bacon's hard work for his constituent, expressing concern over the information provided about asylum seekers' conditions and urging the Minister to take immediate action on this matter.
The hon. Gentleman commends Gareth Bacon for the debate, stressing the moral duty to feed and shelter asylum seekers while supporting their assimilation in a foreign land, rather than leaving them voiceless and frightened in hotels.
The hon. Gentleman congratulates Gareth Bacon on securing the debate, noting that tens of thousands of asylum seekers are in temporary accommodation sometimes demonised for being there. He argues that people's mental health can be protected by processing cases quickly. Asked the minister to reconsider the new proposals that dismiss people as bogus asylum seekers before their claims are considered, highlighting that over 90% of claimants from Libya and Eritrea turn out to have valid claims.
Government Response
Sarah DinesIt is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Dame Maria Miller. The Home Office acknowledges Mr A's case, and I will ensure that my hon. Friend the Member for Orpington continues to receive regular updates. We are committed to ensuring that asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delay, aiming to clear the backlog of initial asylum legacy claims by December 2022. Streamlined asylum processing has reduced the legacy backlog by 17,000 cases from November 2022 to May 2023 and further rolled out to legacy claims from nationals of Afghanistan, Eritrea, Sudan, Syria and Vietnam, reducing interview length and streamlining processes. We have doubled the number of decision makers over the last two years and are increasing staffing through a large recruitment campaign, expecting headcount to reach 2,500 by September this year. The Home Office collaborates closely with NHS, local authorities, and NGOs to ensure asylum seekers access healthcare and support services. In the year ending March 2023, there were 75,492 asylum applications in total relating to 91,047 people, a third more than in the previous year and the highest number for two decades. Many of these applicants are from nationalities such as Albanians, Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis and Syrians who are also arriving via small boats, placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system. The Government is committed to reforming the system through the Illegal Migration Bill to better manage applications. We take the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously, working closely with health partners and providing funding for mental health support services such as Barnardo's Boloh helpline, which offers UK-wide virtual therapeutic support in 15 languages.