This article has two strands. One is the utter ineptitude of the Tories on immigration, especially since Boris Johnson played a part in frontline politics, and the other is why Victoria Derbyshire is representative of someone who really takes on the Tories in the corporate media but never gets the jobs that can seriously harm them.
Immigration
First, the facts of applying for asylum, because many argue without a fact in sight.
Now let us take a look at the official data as of September 2023:
Asylum Application Trends
The yearly count of asylum applications in the UK reached its peak in 2002, with a total of 84,132 applications. Subsequently, this number witnessed a sharp decline, hitting a 20-year low of 17,916 in 2010. Over the course of the 2010s, the figures gradually increased. However, from 2021 onwards, there was a notable surge, reaching 81,130 applications in 2022. This marked the highest annual number since 2002.
The 81,130 applications filed in 2022 encompassed 99,939 individuals, accounting for both primary applicants and their dependents.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on asylum seeker arrivals via air routes in 2020 and 2021. During this period, there was a substantial rise in the number of individuals arriving in the UK via small boats, most of whom subsequently applied for asylum. Surprisingly, the number of small boat arrivals increased again in 2022, despite the reopening of other travel routes.
Proportion of Asylum Seekers and Refugees Among Migrants
In 2019, asylum seekers comprised roughly 6% of the immigrant population in the UK. In 2020, a year characterised by reduced overall immigration due to the pandemic, the proportion of asylum seekers among immigrants might have been approximately 12%. In 2022, the latest year with available estimates, asylum seekers and refugees constituted approximately 21% of the immigrant population in the UK. This figure includes individuals arriving under various humanitarian schemes, such as those from Ukraine, the Afghan relocation and resettlement schemes, small boat arrivals, other resettlement programs, and family reunion visas, totaling around 264,000 individuals in total. If the British National (Overseas) Scheme is categorised as a humanitarian route, the proportion of immigration falling into this category in that year could rise to 26%.
Asylum Application Outcomes
The rate of initial asylum application rejections reached its peak at 88% in 2004. Since then, the rejection rate has been steadily decreasing, hitting a low of 24% in 2022, the lowest point since 1990. During the period from 2004 to 2021, approximately three-quarters of applicants whose asylum requests were initially denied proceeded to lodge an appeal, and nearly one-third of those appeals were ultimately granted.
Asylum Caseload
As of June 2023, the overall asylum caseload marked a total of 215,500 cases in various stages of processing. Out of these cases, 138,000 were awaiting an initial decision, 5,100 were pending the outcome of an appeal, and roughly 41,200 were subject to removal actions.
The total number of asylum cases has more than doubled in size since 2014. This surge can be attributed to longer waiting times for initial decisions and an increase in the number of individuals facing removal actions following unfavourable decisions.
Nationalities of Asylum Seekers and Refugees
In 2021, 42% of asylum applicants hailed from Middle Eastern countries, while 23% were nationals of African countries. However, this pattern shifted in 2022, with the most prominent nationality groups being from Asian countries (32% of applicants) and European countries (25% of applicants).
Between 2014 and June 2023, a total of 51,000 individuals were resettled or relocated to the UK through various schemes. From 2014 to 2020, 20,000 Syrians were resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. Starting in 2021, approximately 21,500 people from Afghanistan were resettled or relocated to the UK through various schemes.
In 2022, two new pathways were established for Ukrainian nationals. As of the end of June 2023, roughly 179,000 people had arrived in the UK under these schemes. This influx significantly outweighed any other single forced migration flow to the UK in recent history. In fact, the number of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in the UK in 2022 equaled the total number of people granted refuge in the UK from all origins between 2014 and 2021.
European Comparison
In 2022, there were approximately 13 asylum applications per 10,000 residents in the UK. Across the EU27 countries, this figure was higher, with 22 asylum applications per 10,000 residents. This placed the UK below the EU average for asylum applications per capita, ranking 19th among the EU27 countries plus the UK in this regard.
Thus, since Boris Johnson was either Foreign Secretary or Prime Minister, the asylum process in the UK has become a disaster. Given his reputation for being as useful as a string vest in a blizzard, the voters who put a cross next to a Tory name appear to have got their just deserts. The rest of us not so much.
It is obvious that the government would prefer that the public not read this. When considering the facts, it appears that the right-wing corporate media and Tory government soundbites account for so much of the froth being spewed. It is as though it was all a plan to divide the nation. Thankfully, when it comes to who is actually responsible, Victoria Derbyshire shreds Jenrick like a scene from The Evil Dead:
???????????????????????????? put Victoria Derbyshire in Fiona Bruce’s place on Question Time ???????? https://t.co/ctCT5ZzRMy
— Not so Proudbrit ???????????????????????? (@jv_uk2011) September 22, 2023
And talking of Victoria Derbyshire. She is is far from perfect obviously or she would not have the Newsnight job, but she does not let politicians get away with what someone like Fiona Bruce does.
Who remembers this from the Question Time chair?
And who remembers this?
And of course, this:
When it comes to political objectivity, Bruce makes a chocolate teapot look secure.
Derbyshire will not be allowed near a show like Question Time until the Tories are out of office. While she still has a chance to save them, Bruce will retain her spot.
For the record, when the BBC received complaints about Bruce’s partiality, here is their response:
‘We have discussed concerns over Fiona Bruce’s impartiality because of her husband’s previous role with the senior editorial team at Question Time, who would like to clarify certain points.
We believe it’s important to recognise that Fiona Bruce’s opinions are not defined by her husband. As with all BBC journalists, she is expected to be impartial in her role in the BBC and we are satisfied that she is.
For the record, Fiona Bruce’s husband, Nigel Sharrocks has never donated to the Conservative Party. Mr Sharrocks is not CEO of Carat Global Management Ltd. The account to advertise Conservative government policy, which has been referred to, was won by a subsidiary of a company of which Mr Sharrocks was once CEO, but after he had left the company.
Penny Lane
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