At least 270 people have died in UK awaiting asylum application

At least 270 migrants have died in the UK while awaiting a decision on their asylum applications since 2015, figures have revealed.

Home Office data released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Sky News showed the majority of those who died – 171 – were male.

Three of them were teenagers or children.

Migration charities told Sky News the deaths are of people who have often “fled horrors such as war” and “undergone treacherous journeys to seek sanctuary”.

The data is limited to cases where the Home Office has received a notification that the person has died, meaning the true figure could be higher.

Charity Care4Calais said: “These figures confirm what we have known for some time – too many people seeking asylum die waiting for the government to decide their future.

“It’s time the new government not only sped up the decision-making process, but ensured it delivered high-quality decisions that offer people the protection they seek.”

Migrant Help, a UK-based charity supporting people seeking asylum, said: “Every loss of life during the asylum process is a devastating tragedy.

“People who have often escaped unimaginable trauma and undergone treacherous journeys to seek sanctuary in the UK deserve the support and security they need while waiting for their application to be processed.”

The data, extracted in October, runs up to the end of June of this year – the last reportable period in line with published immigration statistics at the time of the FOI.