Lawyers say Home Office uses the tactic of last minute appeal withdrawals to protect a target of rejecting 60% of asylum claims
The Observer reported yesterday that some lawyers say the Home Office is using tactics to allow it to 'fix' asylum statistics and reject 60 per cent of applications.
According to the Observer, 60 per cent rejection is a Home Office internal "win rate", with officials dealing with asylum cases expected to secure a rejection in the majority of cases.
Lawyers say that in order to keep that "win rate", the Home Office withdraws from powerful cases at the last minute during the appeal process.
Garden Court's Colin Yeo told the Observer that he sometimes sees the Home Office withdraw from two or three strong cases a week just before they are due to be heard.
Yeo said the Home Office did this simply to hit targets and this was short-term thinking that is contributing to the long-term problems in the asylum system.
James Packer of Duncan Lewis also spoke to the Observer, saying: "The whole thing is a scandal. Very often decisions are withdrawn at the last moment because it is apparent that if the appeal were heard it would succeed."
Packer said the cases can take a year or more before a fresh decision is made, causing real suffering and preventing people from getting on with their lives.
Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said he would be writing to Mark Harper for an explanation.
"Many of those who have sought asylum in the UK are extremely vulnerable. The practice by the Home Office of rewarding those with a high win rate seems callous," Vaz said.
A Home Office spokesman did speak to the Observer and confirmed that officers had a 60 per cent target for cases refused at court. The spokesman added that this was only one of a range of criteria used to monitor staff performance, and all Home Office staff are expected to meet appropriate professional standards.