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| PMQs: Fact-checking claims about asylum and migrants | PMQs: Fact-checking claims about asylum and migrants |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Delays in processing asylum claims and the cost of providing hotel accommodation for asylum-seekers were some of the issues debated at Prime Minister's Questions. | Delays in processing asylum claims and the cost of providing hotel accommodation for asylum-seekers were some of the issues debated at Prime Minister's Questions. |
| Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of presiding over a "broken" asylum system, Rishi Sunak said Labour had "no plan" on how to deal with the thousands of migrants arriving in the UK in small boats. | Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of presiding over a "broken" asylum system, Rishi Sunak said Labour had "no plan" on how to deal with the thousands of migrants arriving in the UK in small boats. |
| We've had a look at some of the claims. | We've had a look at some of the claims. |
| 'Four per cent of people arriving in small boats last year had their asylum claim processed' - Keir Starmer | 'Four per cent of people arriving in small boats last year had their asylum claim processed' - Keir Starmer |
| Keir Starmer asked the prime minister how many asylum claims from those who arrived in the UK on small boats last year had been processed. | Keir Starmer asked the prime minister how many asylum claims from those who arrived in the UK on small boats last year had been processed. |
| Mr Sunak said: "not enough is the answer", but did not give a figure. | Mr Sunak said: "not enough is the answer", but did not give a figure. |
| Mr Starmer went on to say that it was 4% of them, which is correct. | Mr Starmer went on to say that it was 4% of them, which is correct. |
| Speaking to the Home Affairs Committee last week, Home Office official Dan Hobbs said about small boat arrivals in 2021: "96% of those claims remain outstanding". | Speaking to the Home Affairs Committee last week, Home Office official Dan Hobbs said about small boat arrivals in 2021: "96% of those claims remain outstanding". |
| He added that of the 4% of claims which had been processed, around 85% were given asylum. | He added that of the 4% of claims which had been processed, around 85% were given asylum. |
| The latest backlog figures for the year to the end of June 2022, show 103,000 asylum applications awaiting a decision. | The latest backlog figures for the year to the end of June 2022, show 103,000 asylum applications awaiting a decision. |
| What's behind the Home Office migrant backlog? | What's behind the Home Office migrant backlog? |
| 'We ended the free movement of people' - Rishi Sunak | 'We ended the free movement of people' - Rishi Sunak |
| Keir Starmer said to the prime minister: "His home secretary says the asylum system is broken - who broke it?" | Keir Starmer said to the prime minister: "His home secretary says the asylum system is broken - who broke it?" |
| Mr Sunak responded by talking about free movement. | Mr Sunak responded by talking about free movement. |
| "We gave the British people a referendum on Brexit, we delivered Brexit, we ended the free movement of people," he said. | "We gave the British people a referendum on Brexit, we delivered Brexit, we ended the free movement of people," he said. |
| But free movement and the asylum system are not the same thing. | But free movement and the asylum system are not the same thing. |
| Free movement is the European Union principle that all EU nationals are allowed to live and work in any EU country. | Free movement is the European Union principle that all EU nationals are allowed to live and work in any EU country. |
| On 31 December 2020, this freedom ended for EU citizens coming to the UK (and for UK citizens going to the EU). | On 31 December 2020, this freedom ended for EU citizens coming to the UK (and for UK citizens going to the EU). |
| The asylum system is set of rules around how people fleeing persecution can try to get protection in the UK. | The asylum system is set of rules around how people fleeing persecution can try to get protection in the UK. |
| 'Nearly 40,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel so far this year landing taxpayers with a hotel bill of £5.6m per day to accommodate them' - Scott Benton (Conservative) | 'Nearly 40,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel so far this year landing taxpayers with a hotel bill of £5.6m per day to accommodate them' - Scott Benton (Conservative) |
| We've heard the £5.6m figure before from Home Office official Abi Tierney, who appeared before a committee of MPs last week. | We've heard the £5.6m figure before from Home Office official Abi Tierney, who appeared before a committee of MPs last week. |
| She said that the cost of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers was £5.6m a day, although that was the figure for all asylum seekers, not just for those who had arrived in small boats. | She said that the cost of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers was £5.6m a day, although that was the figure for all asylum seekers, not just for those who had arrived in small boats. |
| It's also not just for those who arrived this year and not all arrivals are being housed in hotels. | It's also not just for those who arrived this year and not all arrivals are being housed in hotels. |
| Ms Tierney said that on top of this figure, £1.2m per day is spent on hotel accommodation for people brought over from Afghanistan, bringing the bill to a total of £6.8m a day. | Ms Tierney said that on top of this figure, £1.2m per day is spent on hotel accommodation for people brought over from Afghanistan, bringing the bill to a total of £6.8m a day. |
| 'We've increased the number of processing officials by 80%' - Rishi Sunak | 'We've increased the number of processing officials by 80%' - Rishi Sunak |
| The prime minister gave this figure for the increase in staff numbers when asked what the government was doing about speeding up the processing of asylum claims. | The prime minister gave this figure for the increase in staff numbers when asked what the government was doing about speeding up the processing of asylum claims. |
| Ms Tierney told MPs last week that they had increased the number of asylum "decision makers" by 584 to 1,073, which is an increase of 119%, although neither she nor the prime minister gave a time period. | Ms Tierney told MPs last week that they had increased the number of asylum "decision makers" by 584 to 1,073, which is an increase of 119%, although neither she nor the prime minister gave a time period. |
| Reality Check asked the Home Office where the 80% figure came from and they confirmed that they had 597 staff in 2019-20, which had now increased to 1,073, which is indeed an 80% increase. | |
| What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch | What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch |
| Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |