by David Shipley, Spectator
[…] The Home Office told the BBC that ‘anyone found trying to exploit the system will face the full force of the law, including removal from the UK.’ Strong words, but utterly fanciful. The problem with granting asylum on the basis of sexuality, or religion, or politics is that it’s inherently impossible to disprove. If a Pakistani or Bangladeshi man sits in front of an asylum decision maker and says they are gay, and that they fear for their life if they return home, how can that claim be challenged? With asylum refusals taking far more time and effort than approvals, and with the Home Office determined to bring down the backlog, the bias will always be to wave the claim through, even if it feels unconvincing. This is why we have seen fake baptisms, why the BBC is now reporting fake claims on the basis of atheism, and why so many asylum seekers participate in performative political campaigning in London.
Granting asylum on the basis of unfalsifiable beliefs is stupid, but in reality, the entire asylum system is an invitation to abuse. Once granted asylum these migrants can rely on the generosity of British taxpayers, with their average lifetime cost to us potentially running to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The system itself needs to end. A functioning British state should have no asylum system. The Home Secretary might personally allow a very small number of genuine political refugees to enter the country. Everyone else should be refused entry or sent home at the first opportunity. One day soon we will have a government prepared to end this disaster. Until then the abuse and fraud will continue at our expense.