{"id":901,"date":"2018-02-14T21:43:31","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T21:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/?p=901"},"modified":"2018-02-14T21:43:31","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T21:43:31","slug":"the-guardian-the-new-arrivals-the-new-arrivals-a-lottery-asylum-system-is-unjust-say-home-office-whistleblowers-three-former-staffers-describe-cut-and-paste-decisions-and-rus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/?p=901","title":{"rendered":"[The Guardian] The new arrivals The new arrivals &#8216;A lottery&#8217;: asylum system is unjust, say Home Office whistleblowers Three former staffers describe \u2018cut and paste\u2019 decisions and rushed, biased interviews with asylum seekers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body\" data-test-id=\"article-review-body\">\n<p>The British asylum process is a lottery and many asylum interviews are rushed, biased and resolved by \u201ccut and paste\u201d decisions by overworked Home Office staff, whistleblowers have told the Guardian.<\/p>\n<p>Former staff employed in deciding asylum claims said some colleagues had a harsh, even abusive, attitude towards applicants, mocking them to one another and employing \u201cintimidation tactics\u201d during interviews.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the whistleblowers said, the asylum system was in effect a lottery, depending on the personal views of the decision-maker who picked up the file. They said some staff took pride in rarely, if ever, granting asylum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know some people that have left, they had been here a few years, [who] only did one or two grants of asylum, which in my eyes is just absurd,\u201d said one former caseworker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just a lottery,\u201d said another. \u201cBecause if you\u2019ve got a caseworker who was particularly refusal-minded and was determined to catch you out then you\u2019re going to have a hard time \u2026 There was one particular guy who had a reputation for never granting anything. He kind of took pride in that as well. On the one occasion when he did grant someone, I think someone brought him in a cake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The latest revelations come a month after Home Office staff told the Guardian that\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline in-body-link--immersive\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2017\/dec\/25\/asylum-offices-constant-state-crisis-say-whistleblowers-home-office\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the asylum directorate was in a \u201cconstant state of crisis\u201d<\/a>\u00a0because of overworked staff and a huge backlog of around 50,000 cases.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"element element-atom\" data-atom-id=\"0b0d94d6-b553-4e76-822e-dd8c5de026cd\" data-atom-type=\"qanda\">\n<details class=\"atom atom--snippet atom--snippet--qanda\" data-snippet-id=\"0b0d94d6-b553-4e76-822e-dd8c5de026cd\" data-snippet-type=\"qanda\">\n<summary class=\"atom--snippet__header\"><span class=\"atom--snippet__label\">Q&amp;A<\/span><\/summary>\n<h4 class=\"atom--snippet__headline\">Do you work with asylum claims for the Home Office?<\/h4>\n<summary class=\"atom--snippet__header\"><button class=\"atom__button atom__button--large atom__button--rounded atom--snippet__handle\"><span class=\"is-on\">Show<\/span><\/button><\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Guardian spoke to three former decision-makers or caseworkers. Each was employed at different regional offices and stopped working in these roles in 2016 or 2017.<\/p>\n<p>All said they had tried to do their jobs fairly but struggled owing to productivity targets that one described as \u201cridiculously unrealistic\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Decision-makers are required to complete 225 interviews or decision reports a year.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-pullquote element--supporting element-pullquote--photo-essay\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"pullquote-paragraph\">People cut corners\u200b. \u200bYou would have your own stock paragraphs that you put into refusal minutes<\/p>\n<footer><cite class=\"pullquote-cite\"><\/cite><\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt affects the quality of the decisions,\u201d said one whistleblower. \u201cBy the time you have been through the photos, the file, the news reports, it\u2019s three o\u2019clock and then you have to draft a report [a decision on someone\u2019s claim, which can often be more than 20 pages long]. Can you do that in two hours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another said: \u201cPeople cut corners. You would have your own stock paragraphs that you would put into refusal minutes. So say you had come across a particular kind of case and you had that one again, the incentive to get the work done would be to just make the same decision on the case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn effect you aren\u2019t doing things on a case-by-case basis. Say you have someone who has come from Eritrea and deserted the military \u2026 you might just say, well, I\u2019ll just sort of cut and paste the decision I did last week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another said: \u201cIf you\u2019re a good caseworker and if you\u2019re doing the job properly then the system is fair. But because we\u2019re so stretched for time and we\u2019re so stressed and underpaid, then often things aren\u2019t done thoroughly. So decisions are rushed \u2026 There are some incidents where people have been refused where they should have been granted, in all honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The high turnover rate among staff made work difficult, all three told the Guardian.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-pullquote element--supporting element-pullquote--photo-essay\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"pullquote-paragraph\">Decisions are rushed. \u200bThere are some incidents where people have been refused where they should have been granted<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n<p>A report published in November by the chief inspector of borders and immigration in November said the number of asylum decision-makers had fallen from 319 in January 2016 to 228 in July 2016. Numbers increased back to 352 by March 2017, but the report said more than a quarter of staff had quit over a six-month period.<\/p>\n<p>Home Office decision-makers often also conduct interviews, which are the main chance for people to explain the reasons they are seeking asylum.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the importance of the interviews, all three whistleblowers said they were routinely unprepared for them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d like to ideally investigate the case, look at their country \u2013 is there sufficiency of protection? Can they relocate?\u201d said one. \u201cBecause we\u2019re so rushed, we pick up the file \u2026 you\u2019re just looking at the screening interview quickly, then you go straight into the interview often feeling very unprepared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another said: \u201cSometimes you don\u2019t get the file before the interview, so you don\u2019t know what the case was about. You\u2019re really starting from scratch. You\u2019re asking really open-ended questions like: \u2018Can you tell me why you left X?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Guardian saw transcripts of interviews where it was evident the caseworker knew very little about the case. This included never having heard of the persecuted minority ethnic group the person was from and on which their claim was based, and making basic errors such as confusing the city of Quetta in Pakistan with the state of Qatar.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of all he had seen, one whistleblower said he would not trust the Home Office to deal with his claim fairly if he had to apply for asylum.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"element element-atom\" data-atom-id=\"4c121174-8ee7-4fee-a84b-64e7248de9ca\" data-atom-type=\"profile\">\n<details class=\"atom atom--snippet atom--snippet--profile\" data-snippet-id=\"4c121174-8ee7-4fee-a84b-64e7248de9ca\" data-snippet-type=\"profile\">\n<summary class=\"atom--snippet__header\"><span class=\"atom--snippet__label\">Profile<\/span><\/summary>\n<h4 class=\"atom--snippet__headline\">How do you get asylum in the UK?<\/h4>\n<summary class=\"atom--snippet__header\"><button class=\"atom__button atom__button--large atom__button--rounded atom--snippet__handle\"><span class=\"is-on\">Show<\/span><\/button><\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Two of the whistle blowers also talked about a culture of disrespect among some colleagues towards asylum seekers.<\/p>\n<p>One said an asylum seeker had provided photographs showing marks of torture on his body as part of his claim. After the interview, these photographs were shared among Home Office staff, some of whom made jokes about the fact that the man\u2019s anus could be seen in the pictures.<\/p>\n<p>That whistleblower also recalled instances in which caseworkers would return from interviews and make flippant comments about a person\u2019s claim that their family had been murdered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of it was gallows humour, but other things you look back on and think: \u2018Nah, that was never right, was it?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the whistleblowers said an attitude of cynicism towards asylum seekers became \u201ca part of you\u201d and that many caseworkers looked at asylum seekers as liars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of asylum claims are not legitimate and you get used to that \u2026 but you still need to keep an open mind because there are genuine cases where people need protecting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>A Home Office spokesperson said: \u201cThe UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it and we do not recognise these outdated claims being made against asylum decision-makers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStaff receive extensive training on considering asylum claims, supported by ongoing mentoring, and are fully aware of the importance of making the right decision on the evidence available. There is no evidence to suggest that there is a refusal culture or a culture of intimidation, and every case is considered on its individual merits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsylum decision-makers are allocated time to prepare for interviews, which are fully noted and digitally recorded where possible. The notes are agreed with the claimants, who then receive copies. Through our quality audit process we continually update guidance and training for staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"contributions__epic \" data-component=\"mem_acquisition_epic_kr1_epic_ask_four_earning_control\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"contributions__title contributions__title--epic\">Since you\u2019re here \u2026<\/h2>\n<p class=\"contributions__paragraph contributions__paragraph--epic\">\u2026 we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven\u2019t put up a paywall \u2013 we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian\u2019s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters \u2013 because it might well be your perspective, too.<\/p>\n<div class=\"epic__testimonial-container epic__testimonial-container--subtle\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The British asylum process is a lottery and many asylum interviews are rushed, biased and resolved by \u201ccut and paste\u201d decisions by overworked Home Office staff, whistleblowers have told the Guardian. Former staff employed in deciding asylum claims said some colleagues had a harsh, even abusive, attitude towards applicants, mocking them to one another and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=901"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":909,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions\/909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refugeerightscampaign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}