Asylum system 'overburdened'

The Home Office defended its asylum record, after it was blasted for pressuring lesbian and gay applicants to "prove" their sexuality, letting terrorists and war criminals stay and leaving thousands of cases to rumble on.

However, the Home Office defended its records, saying the UK had a "proud history" of awarding asylum to "those who need it".

A spokesman for the department said there were "robust mechanisms" in place to monitor the state of housing provided for asylum seekers.

Lesbian, bisexual and gay asylum seekers are being coerced into "proving that they are gay" and going to extreme lengths to help their claim, a group of MPs has said.

In a report on asylum in the UK, the home affairs select committee said the immigration process was relying too heavily on anecdotes and intimate evidence when faced with a claim from a gay or lesbian person.

Claimants have resorted to desperate measures to stay in the UK, including handing over photographic and video evidence of "highly personal sexual activity" to caseworkers.

Private security firms housing asylum seekers have come under attack from a group of influential MPs.

The home affairs select committee dubbed housing supplied by G4S, Serco and Clearel "appalling" and said they were "alarmed" by the "sub-standard level of housing" provided as part of the Compass contract.

Chairman Keith Vaz said: "These companies must be held accountable and deliver a satisfactory level of service. It is unacceptable that in 21st century Britain thousands of people are forced into destitution due to the inefficiencies of the system."

The Compass contract launched in July 2009 to provide contracts for the provision of asylum support services.

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The UK asylum system is so poor it is leaving applicants "trapped in a cycle of helplessness and vulnerability" according to the chairman of the home affairs select committee.

Labour MP Keith Vaz was speaking after the committee published a damning report on the asylum system and raised concerns about criminals granted leave to stay.

Just under 22,000 refugees fled to the UK last year and lodged asylum cases, according to an influential group of MPs.

However, the report by the home affairs select committee showed there were already the same amount of asylum claims by mid-September 2013 as there were for the whole of last year.

• As of September 19, the UK already has 21,955 asylum cases.
• There were a total of 21,955 last year.
• Of those 18,423 have received an initial decision and 12,632 have reached a verdict.
• This means that 3,523 people who applied for asylum in 2012 have yet to receive an initial decision.

Britain's asylum system is so overstretched it is at risk of letting terrorists and war criminals stay in the country, an influential committee of MPs has warned.

The Home Affairs Select Committee published a scathing report on the UK asylum system, and expressed concern of the quality of decision-making given the high rate of appeals.

The committee, lead by Labour MP Keith Vaz, was also highly critical of the backlog of 32,600 cases, which should have been concluded in 2011.

Applicants still waiting for an initial decision after the first six months rose by 63% last year, the committee found.

Some applicants have been waiting for 16 years for a verdict on their case.

Read more: Terror suspect given UK asylum