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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

Home Office to fast-track thousands of Iraqi and Iranian asylum claims

Home Office UK Visas & Immigration Office in London
The Home Office has said it is launching ‘a new phase in the programme to clear the legacy backlog’ of asylum claims. Photograph: Guy Corbishley/Alamy

Up to 20,000 Iraqi and Iranian asylum seekers are to have their claims fast-tracked by the Home Office in a renewed push to clear a backlog, a leaked letter shows.

In a significant move to meet Rishi Sunak’s pledge to deal with more than 90,000 claims submitted before last June, claimants from the two countries will be asked to fill in detailed questionnaires in English before facing shortened interviews with officials.

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