SIGNALInfrastructure Software·Jun 7, 2026, 10:16 AMSignal55Medium term

Home Office ditches legacy asylum database, keeps the spreadsheets

Source: The Register

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Home Office ditches legacy asylum database, keeps the spreadsheets

Years into a major IT overhaul, MPs say the department still lacks reliable view of what is happening across the asylum system

Why this matters
Why now

The report highlights continued deficiencies in public sector IT modernization efforts, despite years of investment, exposing ongoing systemic issues.

Why it’s important

This illustrates the persistent challenges governments face in digital transformation, leading to operational inefficiencies, data integrity issues, and poor policy outcomes.

What changes

The continued reliance on legacy systems and spreadsheets for critical public services underscores a significant gap between intended IT modernizations and their actual implementation, delaying benefits.

Winners
  • · Legacy IT system vendors (by default)
  • · Consulting firms specializing in IT change management
Losers
  • · Home Office (reputational damage)
  • · UK Public Sector (efficiency, trust)
  • · Taxpayers (wasted investment)
Second-order effects
Direct

Ongoing operational inefficiencies and poor decision-making within the asylum system due to unreliable data.

Second

Increased public scrutiny and potential political pressure for a more aggressive overhaul of government IT infrastructure.

Third

Further widening of the technology gap between governmental and private sector capabilities, impacting national resilience and service delivery.

Editorial confidence: 90 / 100 · Structural impact: 40 / 100
Original report

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