LONDON: A scheme by the UK government to use unanswered questionnaires as a way to withdraw asylum applications may lead to a record backlog of claims, lawyers warned in a letter.The letter, penned by almost 170 lawyers, experts and refugee groups, warns that rejected asylum applicants, who will risk losing government support as a result of the scheme, will choose to reapply, potentially overwhelming the Home Office with fresh claims, The Independent reported.Under the new system, which aims to expedite processing, about 12,000 asylum-seekers — from Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Eritrea — have been sent questionnaires intended to serve as a replacement for interviews.The scheme was launched last month as the Home Office seeks to clear a surging backlog of asylum claims.The questionnaire contains 50 questions concerning experiences regarding persecution and human trafficking and must be completed within 20 working days.It warns: “A failure to return the questionnaire without reasonable explanation may result in an individual’s asylum claim being withdrawn in line with the published policy on withdrawing asylum claims.”However, the lawyers’ letter, coordinated by the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, warns: “This proposed plan of withdrawing claims will only give the appearance of reducing the backlog, whilst in fact adding to the backlog of fresh asylum claims being made.”We urge the government to rethink its plan and to remedy it.”It added that asylum-seekers who fail to complete the questionnaire will risk losing government accommodation and support and may face deportation.ILPA CEO Jonathan Griffin said: “While the government’s aim of speeding up decision-making for those with manifestly well-founded claims is welcome, we are deeply concerned about the fairness of a process that requires a person without legal advice to respond to a long and complicated questionnaire, in English, in a short space of time, under threat of their asylum claim being withdrawn.”Matilda Bryce, asylum policy and campaigns manager at the Freedom from Torture charity, which signed the letter, said: “The questionnaire in its current form risks exacerbating the asylum backlog while jeopardizing the asylum claims of individuals unable to complete the form before the arbitrary deadline.”A Home Office spokesperson said that the questionnaire alone would not lead to final decisions on asylum applications.