Over 120,000 people are waiting to apply for asylum in the UK Over 120,000 people are waiting to apply for asylum in the UK

The refugee organization Refugee Council announced this on Monday, based on figures from the Ministry of the Interior. Above all, the increase in the past year and a half has been extremely high. A third of applicants have been waiting for processing for one to three years. 725 people, including 155 children, have been left in the dark for more than five years.

The Conservative government has long been trying to take action against illegal crossings of the Channel. For example, people who come to the UK without permission must be taken to East African Rwanda to apply for asylum there. They are not allowed to return to Britain.

In 2022, more than 40,000 people crossed the strait to land, more than ever before in a year. Due to overcrowded detention centres, the government says it will pay £6.8m (7.7m) a day to accommodate migrants in hotels. An agreement with France should help reduce the numbers significantly.

“These people came to the UK looking for safety,” said Enver Solomon, head of the Refugee Council. “But they are doomed to years of worry and uncertainty, with a heavy toll on their mental health, rather than being able to take root in their new community and rebuild their lives.”

Solomon urged the government to take immediate action to address the massive backlog of asylum applications. This includes hiring more staff and giving preference to those at particular risk and those who have been waiting for more than two years.

A spokesman for the British Home Office pointed out that the record number of arrivals put considerable pressure on the asylum system. The government is doing what it can and has already significantly increased the number of clerks. At the same time, the number of decision-makers must be increased and training and career opportunities improved. (con/sda/dpa)