FAILED asylum seekers and foreign offenders are being left in Britain for up to a year because their governments are dragging their feet over travel papers, a Home Office file reveals.
The official guide, published by the department, shows deportations are crippled by delays from overseas embassies.
5
5
Egypt, Guinea and Burkina Faso are among the worst offenders — taking six to 12 months to issue the documents needed to put its citizens on a plane home.
By contrast, Italy, Belgium and Sri Lanka can turn the paperwork around in less than two weeks, while India averages one month.
But the file also shows no reliable timescale is available at all for dozens of countries — leaving removals at the mercy of slow or unpredictable foreign bureaucracies.
The delays mean some migrants remain in Britain long after their claims have failed, with taxpayers footing the bill for hotel rooms, benefits and legal fees while they wait.
Yesterday, fed-up protesters raised St George’s Cross and Union flags outside some of the 210 hotels being used to house migrants — as PM Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to overhaul the failing asylum system.
Among those targeted was the Castle Bromwich Holiday Inn in Birmingham.
Outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, East London, a group of protesters gathered with one holding a banner that read: “Enough is enough protect our women and girls.”
Another said: “Tower Hamlets council house homeless Brits first.”
There were also protests outside the Holiday Inn in Solihull, West Midlands, and the Manchester South Hotel.
At least 15 people were arrested at protests relating to migrant hotels on Saturday.
Following the release of the Home Office file, Reform UK demanded ministers get tough.
Deputy party leader Richard Tice said: “Foreign countries know Starmer’s Britain is a pushover, so it’s no wonder they are dragging their feet when it comes to accepting deportations.
“Britain needs to start using its diplomatic and economic power.
5
“Countries that refuse to take their criminals back should not get off scot-free but instead face serious sanctions.
“Unfortunately, with this meek Labour Government, we will continue to be seen as a meek nation on the global stage.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also hit out, saying: “Countries that do not fully and promptly co-operate should suffer visa sanctions — where we don’t give visas to citizens of those countries to come here.
‘TOO WEAK’
“Then, they would pretty soon fall into line.
“The legal power exists to do that but this Labour Government is too weak to use it.”
There is currently a 106,000-strong backlog of asylum claim cases, including at least 51,000 appeals.
Last week, official statistics showed a record 111,000 people applied for asylum in the UK during the first year of Labour coming to power.
The Government has said its latest plans would introduce independent panels to hear appeal cases to speed up the process and deport failed asylum seekers quicker.
A new commission will prioritise cases of those living in costly asylum hotels and foreign national offenders.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited, which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer.”
5
5
She added: “Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.”
But the new scheme could take months to implement and record numbers of people continue to cross the Channel on small boats.
Tory Mr Philp said: “The Government is too weak to do what’s really needed — such as repeal the Human Rights Act for all immigration matters and deport all illegal immigrants immediately upon arrival.”
The Home Office said: “For some countries receiving returnees from the UK, establishing their identities and nationalities can take time.
“Where that is the case, we work with their respective governments closely to drive timings down to the minimum possible.”
EPPING ‘PARTY’
THERE was a party atmosphere at an anti-migrant protest in Epping yesterday — with at least 150 dancing and cheering as drivers hooted their car horns in support.
Some shouted at police who stood outside the Bell Hotel, the focus of demonstrations but now set to stop housing asylum-seekers.
One man yelled: “Unfortunately Starmer has turned you into stormtroopers — or rather Starmtroopers.”
Other protesters held banners reading “deport foreign criminals” and chanted the name of the far-right’s Tommy Robinson.
Residents across the UK are hoping they will see their own asylum hotels shut after the High Court granted the Essex town’s council a temporary injunction.
The Home Office is to appeal.