Key facts
- The backlog of asylum appeals in the UK reached a record high of nearly 87,500 cases by the end of March 2026.
- This represents a 70% year-on-year increase in asylum appeals.
- The number of initial asylum decisions awaiting resolution has fallen significantly, but the rise in appeals has increased the total asylum caseload.
- The average wait time for an asylum appeal hearing has increased to 63 weeks.
- The success rate for asylum appeals has declined to 36%.
The backlog of asylum appeals in the UK has surged to a record high, with nearly 87,500 cases lodged by the end of March 2026, representing a 70% increase from the previous year. This surge in appeals has occurred even as the government has significantly reduced the number of initial asylum decisions awaiting processing.
Ministry of Justice figures show that while the backlog of initial asylum cases has fallen to 35,744 by the end of March 2026, down from 85,839 before Labour took office in June 2024, the increase in appeals has driven the total asylum caseload to 123,194. This is approximately 4,000 more cases than in June 2024, though it has fallen from a peak of 141,647 in June 2023.
GB News reports that the number of asylum appeals awaiting resolution has reached an unprecedented 80,333 cases, nearly doubling from 41,987 at the end of December 2024. The average wait for an appeal hearing has increased to 63 weeks, up from 48 weeks a year prior. The Refugee Council estimates that these appeals affect around 104,433 individuals, as each case can represent a single applicant or a family group.
Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council attributed the growing appeals backlog to poor quality decision-making by the Home Office, forcing individuals into a lengthy appeals process. He highlighted that those awaiting appeals cannot work, incurring costs for taxpayers, and that refugees fleeing conflict deserve swift and accurate initial decisions. Mihnea Cuibus of the Migration Observatory noted that the appeals backlog means the total number of people receiving asylum support and residing in hotels remains high, despite the sharp fall in initial decision backlogs.
Home Office statistics from February indicated the initial decision backlog had dropped to 64,426, its lowest in over five years, with the appeals queue now exceeding this figure. The success rate for asylum appeals has also fallen sharply, with only 36% succeeding between October and December 2025, the lowest rate since early 2015. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced reforms limiting rejected asylum seekers to a single appeal against removal.