Asylum system ‘all but lost’ as watchdog warns Home Office has no control

Asylum system ‘all but lost’ as watchdog warns Home Office has no controlA parliamentary watchdog has warned that Britain's asylum system is "all but lost", amid claims the Home Office cannot prove it is managing accommodation well. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Michael D. Carroll 05:36, Fri, Jun 5, 2026 Updated: 05:36, Fri, Jun 5, 2026 Britain’s asylum system is facing fresh scrutiny (Image: Getty)Britain’s asylum system is under severe strain, with a parliamentary watchdog warning that oversight has broken down and the Government cannot properly account for large parts of the system.The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said control of asylum accommodation had become so weak that it was "all but lost", raising serious questions over how the Home Office tracks applicants and manages public spending. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThe committee’s findings paint a picture of repeated administrative failure, with MPs warning that short-term fixes have replaced any coherent long-term strategy.Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who chairs the PAC, said: "At the time of our inquiry, control of it had been all but lost."He added that a reliance on reactive decision-making had left officials "chasing after pressures pushed from one part of the system to the next", with communication between agencies described as "patchy at best". Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThe report raises concerns over how effectively the Home Office monitors people moving through the asylum system, particularly those whose claims have been refused. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTMPs found that of 5,000 people who claimed asylum in January 2023, 41 per cent remained "in limbo", with no final decision on their cases. Massive number of British students back return of death penalty, poll shows Zelensky humiliates Trump with bombshell proposal to Putin Get the latest politics news -...