Key facts
- The UK Home Office has lost track of migrants without the legal right to remain.
- The exact number of these missing migrants is unknown.
- MPs criticize the Home Office for implementing short-term solutions instead of addressing fundamental flaws in the asylum system.
The UK Home Office has admitted it has lost track of a number of migrants who do not have the legal right to remain in the country. The precise scale of this issue is unknown, as the department has not been able to ascertain the exact number of individuals who have gone missing from its records. This admission comes as Members of Parliament (MPs) have voiced concerns that the Home Office is continuing to implement short-term solutions rather than addressing fundamental flaws within the UK's asylum system. The focus on temporary measures, according to the MPs, is hindering effective long-term reform. A House of Commons committee report described the situation as a 'disturbing picture' of a 'never-ending crisis' and blasted the government for 'shocking' oversights.