The UK’s ‘border agency’ has lost 124,000 asylum seekers and migrants in the last year, it has been revealed. UKBA figures showed the number of individuals lost by the agency had almost tripled in six months from 40,500 in March to 124,000 in September. 

Officials say they have placed the cases in a so-called ‘controlled archive’ for applicants who cannot be contacted by workers. A Home Affairs Select Committee report said the archive has been used as a ‘dumping ground’ for cases the agency has given up on.

The archive contains around 98,000 cases in which asylum seekers cannot be found and the agency has no idea whether or not the applicant is still in the UK, legally or otherwise.

A further 26,000 migrants were among a group, including students, who were found to have overstayed their visas or been refused an extension of leave.

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