Less than half of failed asylum seekers are removed from the UK and abuse of the system is rife, according to a new study.

Tens of thousands of people remained in the country as illegal immigrants despite their applications having been rejected or withdrawn, according to analysis by a former Home Office chief.

It shows how, of the 80,813 applications that were refused or withdrawn between 2010 and 2016, only 29,659 individuals were removed, leaving 51,154 failed asylum seekers in the country from that seven-year period.

David Wood, an ex-director general of immigration enforcement, warned that Britain's asylum system is "not efficient or very effective".

He said a myth is perpetuated in many countries that "the streets of the UK are paved with gold".


Image: Abuse of the asylum system is rife, according to the report

"The truth is that while there are thousands of genuine claims for asylum each year, thousands more are abusive applications," it said.

The paper, published by right of centre think-tank Civitas, said:

:: A common "method of deception" is "nationality swapping", whereby an asylum seeker will claim they are from a certain country to boost their chances of success.

:: Another "area of abuse" is where applicants claim to be under 18 when they are older.

:: A key difficulty in many removals is the absence of travel documents, which are often lost or destroyed prior to arrival in the UK.

:: Many asylum claims are submitted when individuals are about to depart the UK, such as at the airport or on a plane.

The assessment comes days after Home Secretary Sajid Javid sparked controversy by questioning whether migrants using small boats to cross the Channel are genuine asylum seekers.

It warns that abuse of the system risks undermining "well-placed sympathy" for refugees.

"It is an important principle that people fleeing persecution should be given refuge by countries in a position to offer it," the report said.

On a visit to Dover, the home secretary suggests those picked up by UK authorities could have their asylum requests denied

"But where asylum processes are being used as a way of facilitating economic migration it is essential to be able to quickly and efficiently distinguish between the two, in order to ensure those entitled to help receive it quickly, and to ensure that UK citizens do not lose faith and support for a system that is rife with abuse."

Mr Wood made several recommendations to speed up the processing of applications and improve the rate of removal of those who are refused.

He called on the government to step up the efforts to challenge countries that refuse to provide travel documents for their nationals.

Another measure would be to adopt new screening technology to speed up the processing of applications and improve the rate of removal of those who are refused.

Mr Wood also suggests the removals rate could be improved by detaining more of those who, at the end of an appeals process, are refused asylum and for whom it is known that papers could be secured.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it.

"However, we are clear that those with no right to be in the UK should return home.

"As part of the new asylum accommodation contracts we will be working with a charity to make sure failed asylum seekers are given information on the voluntary returns scheme, encouraging individuals refused asylum to return home.

"We will seek to enforce the return of those who do not leave voluntarily. Since the beginning of 2010 there have been over 345,000 enforced or voluntary returns."

Commenting on Mr Wood's report, Satbir Singh, director of JCWI (Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants), said: "Most people who claim asylum in Britain do so because they've had to flee their homes in fear for their life.

"We should be looking for ways to help people who need refuge, not looking for excuses to close the door in their face.

"David Wood needs to think again if his message to people who've been driven out of Afghanistan by the Taliban or forced to flee Iran because they converted to Christianity is that they are being 'abusive' by asking Britain for safety."