The proportion of refugees deemed 'genuine' by Britain has hit a 32-year high - just as Priti Patel battles to deport thousands of them to Rwanda.
Some 76% of asylum seekers had their claim for asylum, leave or humanitarian protection approved in the year to June - the most since 1990.
The rise is partly driven by more people coming from war-torn nations like Afghanistan, and partly by fewer being deemed “inadmissible” to apply.
Yet under the Home Secretary’s Rwanda scheme - which is being fought over in the High Court - Tory ministers will block people who’ve arrived on Channel dinghies claiming asylum.
If they win in court, such people will be deemed “inadmissible” to made a claim and flown to Rwanda.
New figures today showed 12,747 people arrived in Britain by small boats in January to June 2022 - more than double the 5,917 a year earlier.
There were 28,526 in 2021, 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019 and 299 in 2018.
There is a now backlog of more than 100,000 asylum cases, and just 6,910 small boat arrivals have had an initial asylum decision since 2018.
Of those, only 8% were outright rejected. Nearly half - 49% - were accepted.
The other 43% were blocked at the first hurdle because the person passed through a “safe third country” on the way to Britain. This is the same clause that would be used to send people to Rwanda.
Officials privately admit they are unable to keep up as intake rises to its highest in two decades. There were 63,089 UK asylum applications in the year to June, the highest since 2003.
Yet in the same period there were only 14,706 initial decisions on people’s asylum claims.
While asylum claims were up 77% compared to 2019, asylum decisions were down 29% in the same period.
The UK has signed a deal with Albania’s government to speed up the removal Albanian nationals - with insiders saying it could take just two to three weeks.
Yet today's figures show just 21 people have been forcibly removed on the grounds of being "inadmissible" for asylum since Brexit, despite Tory ministers widening the scope of that rule.
The number of Albanians arriving in small boats has soared and they account for 18% of Channel arrivals so far this year, the Home Office said.
Yet 53% of Albanian applicants were granted asylum at the initial decision in the year to June, suggesting many are genuine refugees.
Another 18% of small boat arrivals were Afghan - despite the UK's schemes to help people escape the Taliban takeover.
It comes after the Home Office was forced to ditch plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, when the Ministry of Defence claimed the site back.
An alternative site still hasn’t been decided and will not be until a new Tory leader is in place.
Suella Braverman, who believes the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights, is tipped to replace Ms Patel as Home Secretary.
Minister for Illegal Migration Simon Baynes said: “The significant increase of people making dangerous small boats crossings continues to pressurise the UK’s asylum system and our ability to make timely casework decisions.
“Anyone who is travelling through safe countries to reach the UK should claim asylum there instead of giving money to evil criminal gangs.
“Our New Plan for Immigration, including our Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, will fix the broken system, crack down on those who enter illegally and allow us to support those in genuine need.”
Marley Morris of the IPPR think tank said: “Today’s figures reveal that the vast majority of small boat arrivals are claiming asylum.
“And when they have their claim considered they are successful.
“But many are at risk of being relocated to Rwanda under the government’s new plans.
“These figures make clear that the asylum system needs urgent reform.
“The government should ramp up safe and legal routes, speed up asylum decision making, and drop its inhumane plans to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda.”
