Ministers have been urged to urgently improve the 'flawed' asylum decision-making process
Incorrect asylum decisions cost the UK taxpayer millions of pounds each year, according to new research that has prompted calls for the government to urgently improve the "flawed" decision-making process.
Ministers have been accused of presiding over failings in the asylum system which lead to "serious economic and human costs" after an analysis of data revealed that the government has spent more than £4m annually fighting successful appeals in administrative costs alone.
A report by Pro Bono Economics, seen by The Independent, also reveals that asylum seekers from war-ravaged nations, such as Afghanistan and Sudan. are nearly twice as likely to win asylum appeals against the Home Office than those from elsewhere.
Shadow immigration minister Bambos Charalambous said the asylum system was "not only broken but it is wasting money", and warned that the "incompetent" decision-making had "scandalous consequences" on those incorrectly denied asylum.
"The Conservatives needs to take urgent action to ensure better decision making which will also save money," he added.
The research, which analysed government figures and freedom of information data, shows that, for the five-year period 2013-17, total administrative costs of successful asylum appeals were £4.3m per year.
There were on average close to 11,500 appeals against initial asylum decisions by the Home Office each year during this period, of which nearly one in three were successful.
The report points out that the amount spent on the costs of contesting appeals that are overturned is thought to be the "tip of the iceberg".
"Many millions more" is likely to be spent through the court system and legal aid, as well as on housing and living costs for asylum seekers as they await the completion of the appeal process," it states.
The findings also show that asylum seekers from "very low peace" countries such as Afghanistan are 1.7 times more likely to have a successful appeal than those from "high peace" countries like Malaysia.
One third (33 per cent) of asylum decisions on Malaysian nationals and 28 per cent on Gambian nationals have been overturned over the last five years - compared with 51 per cent for Afghans and 62 per cent for Sudanese nationals.
Matt Whittaker, chief executive of Pro Bono Economics, said it was "clear" that the "failings" in the system were resulting in "serious economic and human costs".
"The system needs overhauling, with the addition of more translators and better training for Home Office staff," he added.
It comes after a report by the immigration watchdog this week found that asylum decision makers felt that their training did not fully equip them with the skills they need to interview applicants and decide their claims.
The Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) was told by some Home Office staff that managers focused too much on the quantity of decisions than the quality.
A separate report this week, by the Refugee Council, found that the majority of people who cross the Channel in small boats would be recognised as refugees in the UK, contradicting claims by the home secretary last month that 70 per cent of arrivals are "economic migrants".
Andy Hewett, head of advocacy at the charity, said it was "vital" that the Home Office work towards improving the decision-making process to ensure more decisions were right first time around and to avoid the need for cases to go to appeal in the first place.
"Appeals not only add additional costs to the Home Office, but are hugely damaging in terms of the additional anxiety and uncertainty for the men, women and children many of whom have experienced great trauma in lives," he added.
Home secretary Priti Patel has pledged to "overhaul" the "broken" asylum system with a new set of immigration measures that she hopes to implement through the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament.
However her proposals - which include denying refuge to asylum seekers who arrive in the UK via unauthorised routes and the possibility of holding people offshore while their claims are processed - have been met with alarm by campaigners.
Elaine Cameron, chief executive of the Refugee Survival Trust, said the bill would "exacerbate" the issues and "do nothing to ensure that the UK benefits from the additional skills and resources on offer from asylum seekers".
"It is time that the government took a sensible approach to asylum and reviewed the right to work legislation, particularly given the current labour shortages the UK is experiencing," she said.
She warned that people who "can and want" to contribute to the economy and society were "prohibited from doing so" due to "flawed decision-making and often lengthy delays".
The Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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