If we extrapolate the number of 3890 processed late from 1st Jan to 6 May 2009, this gives an annual number of 11,360 by the end of 2009 or 76% increase compared to previous year !!!
Assuming the whole backlog of 28,590 application is being processed in 2009 (which is highly unlikely) this means that 39% of all applications are being processed outside the 6 months period. The real % of applications processed later is in fact even worse !! In fact with an average time to process EEA applications for family members around 8 months, this implies that over 50% are being processed late !!! It is therefore not unreasonable to deduct from these figures that at least three quarter of the applications could be processed late and the backlog of unprocessed application is growing totally out of control ....
Immigration: Families
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average processing time for residence card applications for family members of EEA nationals. [267839]
Mr. Woolas: Based on the applications decided over the preceding 12 month period, the average processing time of applications for residence cards for family members of EEA nationals was eight months.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for residence cards for family members of EEA nationals took longer than six months to process in each of the last three years. [267840]
Mr. Woolas: The number of applications for residence cards for family members of EEA that took over six months to process, in each of the last three years, are as follows:
Total of cases with a processing time of 6+ months
2006(1) 810
2007 4,480
2008 6,420
2009(2) 3,890
Total 15,600
(1) From 6 May 2006
(2) To 6 May 2009
Note:
All figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for residence cards for family members of EEA nationals are being processed. [267841]
Mr. Woolas: As of 6 May 2009 the number of applications for residence cards for family members of EEA nationals awaiting processing was 28,590.
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Act on EEA residency application delays by signing the petition:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/EEA4-Residency/