UK Immigration & Asylum: Small Boats Resources Hub

Purpose of This Hub

Immigration and asylum are complex areas of government policy involving the Home Office, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, UK Visas and Immigration, courts, police, local authorities, contractors, accommodation providers, Parliament and other public bodies.

This hub helps the public find original official information, statistics, reports, contracts, spending records, performance information and accountability routes in one place.

Important Data and Terminology Notice

Small-boat arrivals, asylum seekers, refugees, visa holders, irregular migrants, foreign nationals and foreign national offenders are different categories.

Crime statistics are not routinely published in a way that allows every offence to be connected directly to immigration status, asylum status or method of entry.

This hub links to official crime, justice, prison, foreign national offender and immigration enforcement information while identifying where direct comparisons cannot reliably be made.

What This Hub Helps the Public Investigate

• How many people arrive by small boat?
• How many asylum applications are made?
• How many applications are approved or refused?
• How long are asylum decisions taking?
• How large is the asylum backlog?
• How many people are returned or removed?
• How many people are held in immigration detention?
• How much does the immigration and asylum system cost?
• How much is spent on asylum accommodation?
• Which companies receive government contracts?
• What KPIs and performance measures apply?
• How does Parliament scrutinise the system?
• What do independent inspectors report?
• What official crime and foreign national offender information exists?
• How can the public request additional information?

Investigating Small-Boat Arrivals

1. Check official daily small-boats data.
2. Check quarterly and annual immigration statistics.
3. Check asylum applications associated with irregular arrivals.
4. Search Home Office publications.
5. Search Hansard.
6. Search parliamentary questions.
7. Check Home Affairs Committee investigations.
8. Check independent inspection reports.
9. Search Border Force and accommodation contracts.

Investigating Asylum Applications

1. Check applications received.
2. Check initial decisions.
3. Check grants and refusals.
4. Check the asylum backlog.
5. Check processing times.
6. Check appeals.
7. Check returns and removals.
8. Check accommodation costs.
9. Check Home Office performance information.

Investigating Crime and Foreign National Data

1. Check official crime statistics.
2. Check Ministry of Justice offender statistics.
3. Check prison population statistics.
4. Check foreign national offender information.
5. Check immigration enforcement data.
6. Check returns and removals statistics.
7. Search parliamentary questions.
8. Use Freedom of Information requests where appropriate.

Investigating Immigration Costs and Contracts

1. Search Home Office annual reports and accounts.
2. Search Find a Tender.
3. Search Contracts Finder.
4. Search Companies House.
5. Identify accommodation providers.
6. Identify transport and escort contractors.
7. Check contract values.
8. Check contract extensions.
9. Search National Audit Office reports.
10. Check Public Accounts Committee investigations.

Investigating KPIs and Performance

1. Check Home Office plans and priorities.
2. Check annual reports and accounts.
3. Check asylum decision statistics.
4. Check processing times.
5. Check backlog data.
6. Check service standards.
7. Check supplier KPIs.
8. Check inspection reports.
9. Use FOI requests for unpublished performance information.

Investigating Governance and Decision-Making

1. Identify the responsible minister.
2. Identify the responsible Home Office directorate.
3. Search ministerial transparency publications.
4. Search Hansard.
5. Search written parliamentary questions.
6. Check parliamentary committees.
7. Check National Audit Office reports.
8. Check independent inspection reports.
9. Search contracts and spending.

Who Is Responsible?

• Home Secretary
• Minister responsible for immigration
• Home Office
• UK Visas and Immigration
• Border Force
• Immigration Enforcement
• HM Passport Office
• Local authorities
• Police forces
• Ministry of Justice
• HM Courts & Tribunals Service
• HM Prison and Probation Service
• Government contractors
• Asylum accommodation providers
• Transport and escort providers
• Technology suppliers
• Independent inspectors
• Parliamentary committees
• National Audit Office

Follow the Money

• How much does the asylum system cost?
• How much is spent on accommodation?
• How much is spent on hotels?
• How much is spent on detention?
• How much is spent on returns?
• How much is spent on Border Force?
• Which private companies receive contracts?
• Who owns those companies?
• Who are their directors?
• How much are contracts worth?
• How long do contracts run?
• Were contracts competitively tendered?
• Were contracts directly awarded?
• Were contracts extended?
• What KPIs apply?
• Were performance targets met?
• Were financial penalties imposed?
• Were conflicts of interest declared?

Suggested FOI Requests

• Monthly asylum application totals.
• Average asylum decision times.
• Number of applications awaiting decisions.
• Number of cases exceeding service standards.
• Asylum accommodation costs.
• Hotel costs.
• List of accommodation contractors.
• Supplier KPIs.
• Supplier performance reports.
• Contract penalties.
• Border Force staffing levels.
• Immigration Enforcement staffing levels.
• Returns and removals costs.
• Detention costs.
• Internal audits.
• Risk registers.
• Ministerial submissions.
• Decision records.
• Impact assessments.

Responsible Use of Immigration and Crime Data

• Do not assume nationality proves immigration status.
• Do not assume foreign nationality means a person arrived illegally.
• Do not assume asylum status from ethnicity or appearance.
• Do not describe suspects as convicted offenders.
• Distinguish arrests, charges, prosecutions and convictions.
• Check whether statistics cover England and Wales, Great Britain or the whole UK.
• Check whether figures refer to people, applications, cases or incidents.
• Use original official sources.
• Separate confirmed facts from allegations and political opinion.