UK immigration: Asylum appeal backlog at record high, figures show

The government has cut the number of outstanding asylum cases awaiting a first decision. At the end of March there were 35,744, down from 85,839 just before Labour took office in June 2024.

However, that reduction has been more than offset by a rise in appeals, pushing the total backlog to 123,194 cases. That is around 4,000 more than the 119,066 total cases outstanding in June 2024.

While the total backlog remains higher than June 2024, it has fallen over recent quarters and down from the peak of 141,647 in June 2023 under the previous Conservative government.

The Home Office said: “These figures reflect the progress this government has made in tackling the asylum backlog, with the number of people waiting for an initial decision falling by 72% since June 2023.”

It went on to say the government is carrying out reforms to speed up the appeals process and “ensure those with no right to be here cannot delay their removal”.

Peter Walsh from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford told BBC Verify one backlog was being shifted to another.

“The government has been processing initial claims faster and the initial decision grant rate is lower than it’s been for some time,” he said.

“Many more refusals attract a right of appeal and that’s why you see the number shifting from one backlog to another.”