Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials were responsible for examining and making decisions on asylum applications at the end of 2019.

The number of officials across the department who were responsible for examining and making decisions on asylum applications at the end of 2019 is not held in a reportable format. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against multiple cost centres and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Decisions on asylum claims are made by decision makers in Asylum Operations. All staff are maintained at a level that allows the Home Office to progress cases and make timely decisions.

All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information.