In response to the asylum statistics out today, and news that more people will be denied the right to appeal their decision from inside the UK, Tim Finch, Director of Communications at the Refugee Council said:

“In light of yet another fall in the number of people claiming asylum in Britain, it seems particularly unreasonable to add more countries to an already long list of countries whose nationals are denied a right of appeal in the UK.

“Men from these countries including Sierra Leone and Liberia will no longer be allowed to appeal their decisions while they remain in the UK. However today’s stats show that one in five appeals from nationals of those countries are successful.

“We know that the appeals system acts as an essential safeguard against poor initial decision-making, which the Home Office has recognised remains a problem. To force more people, especially those from war-torn countries, to return home before they are able to lodge an appeal, potentially carries a serious risk to their safety.”