I’ve not heard or seen a coherent argument that makes a case to suggest that the Tories have done anything but make the situation worse.
Clearly the world is in turmoil and the number of refugees increases exponentially and every sensible person wants to stop the economic migrants abusing the system and see the end to people risking their lives to enter the UK.
But don’t respond to the Tory dog whistles which focus entirely on those who are abusing or gaming the system and avoid the look back at their own pathetic failings.
The last Home Office figures show that at end of 2022 there were 132,000 cases relating to 160,000 individuals Awaiting initial decision.
There are 3 times the number of applications waiting for an initial decision than there were in 2019.
The increasing numbers are worsened by the fact that there are more cases entering the asylum system than receiving decisions.
There were 10% fewer decisions made in 2022 than in 2019.
In 2010 46,000 people were deported. By 2021 this annual number had fallen to 9,500.
In the 2019 Home Office Report three main reasons were cited. Make your own mind up who should carry responsibility.
1. Gvmt had reduced the use of detention and the size of the detention estate
2. Gvmt made procedural changes following the Windrush scandal
3. There was a long running breakdown in data sharing between gvmt departments
Latterly Brexit with the end of the Dublin Agreement which allowed return of people to EU member states (with no mitigation plan) and the loss of EU funding for asylum and immigration activities has made the issue worse.
So from my perspective, focus if you like on the rights and wrongs of barges and the use of far flung outposts to process applications but don’t lose sight of the simple truth that the current government has spent a good few years digging a very deep hole. It’s only course of action now is that to wind people up and distract voters from their own failings.