UK Edition
UK facing more than 40,000 asylum applications this year as migrants turn to 'covert methods', report finds
Britain faces more than 40,000 asylum applications this year as migrants increasingly resort to using “covert” methods to get into European countries, a report has warned.
According to projections by the Overseas Development Institute, the UK will receive around 43,381 asylum applications in 2016, costing over £620 million.
Separate figures show that there were approximately 38,878 asylum claims in 2015.
The think-tank’s report estimates that that 330,000 people will reach Europe this year by sea through "overt" channels, normally across the Mediterranean.
This is a fall compared to last year, when more than a million people arrived using those routes.
The paper suggests that while fewer people will arrive this year on well-known routes, in many cases refugees and migrants may be taking alternative "covert" routes.
It said the projected number of new asylum applications is still very high, at 890,000 by the end of 2016, adding: "This large discrepancy between new arrivals and new asylum applications suggests that there are many people whose journeys to Europe we know little about."
These refugees and migrants travel to Europe through a variety of "covert" channels and means which can include travelling by plane using false documents, concealed in vehicles or by over-staying visas, according to the report.
Migrants are increasingly trying to access the UK by hiding in lorries in Calais.
Ministers earlier this month announced that construction is soon to begin on a "big new wall" in Calais following a surge in the number of migrants trying to get across the Channel.
The 13ft (4m) high concrete barrier will be funded by Britain at a cost of £2 million, and will stretch over a half a mile along the main dual carriageway approaching the ferry port.
There have also been reports of migrant smugglers attempting to transport people to the UK using boats and targeting Britain’s small coastal ports.
Marta Foresti, the author of the report, said: "While on the surface, the number of people arriving in Europe has fallen, the rate of those taking hidden routes to Europe has not been affected and is likely to increase.
"These covert routes can be more dangerous and make it harder for governments to monitor migration and design effective responses."
She added that increasing legal routes is "the only way to be able to predict flows" and make "pragmatic decisions" about how to better manage migration.
The Government has promised to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.
According to the latest UK figures, 2,800 Syrian refugees have arrived in Britain since David Cameron, the former prime minister, made the pledge earlier this year.
The National Audit Office has estimated that resettling the refugees will cost up to £1.73 billion over the lifetime of the project.