Question
We inherited a situation in which gangs were profiting from our out-of-control borders and hotel operators were ripping us off, making the most of a backlog that had built up far too high. We have taken some welcome steps, but it is clear that more needs to be done. Returning people with no right to be here is a crucial part of that. How can we step up the processing of cases, and form closer links with other countries, so that we get strong returns agreements and finally get the costs of this out-of-control system down?
Answer
My hon. Friend is right that we need to maximise the numbers we are returning from this country. He will know that asylum-related returns are at their highest level since 2010. This Government have made excellent progress on getting returns up and back to levels seen in previous years, and we will make more progress.25% vibes
Verdict: RED (5/100)
The reply does not really answer the question. The part on speeding up asylum and immigration case processing is misread: it talks about increasing removals and returns, which are outcomes, and gives no mechanism for faster processing. The part on building closer links with other countries to secure returns agreements is not addressed at all, as the reply never mentions other countries, international partnerships or returns agreements. A member of the public would finish the reply without specific, committed information on either point and would likely need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| How can the Government step up the processing of asylum and immigration cases? | Partially Addressed | Hedged MISREADS QUESTION | The question asks how to speed up the processing of asylum and immigration cases, but the reply talks only about increasing removals and returns, which is a downstream outcome rather than case-processing capacity or speed. It never names a mechanism for processing faster, and its commitment ('we will make more progress') is generic. |
| How can the Government form closer links with other countries in order to secure strong returns agreements for people with no right to be in the UK? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks how the Government will build closer links with other countries to secure strong returns agreements, but the reply makes no mention of other countries, international partnerships, or returns agreements; it only says returns should be maximised in general terms. |