UK asylum applications fall sharply during lockdown

The number of applications for asylum in the UK has plunged during the Covid-19 pandemic, figures show, as global restrictions have disrupted travel. In the first four weeks of the UK lockdown, 800 applications were lodged, a fall of 69% from the 2,500 made in the preceding four weeks. The number of asylum applications had been steadily rising since 2018. The number of applications granted or rejected also fell as interviews with applicants and most decision-making was stopped. There were 300 initial decisions made in the first four weeks of the lockdown, about a sixth of the number before the emergency measures.