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Nearly 42,000 asylum seekers in the UK are awaiting appeal hearings after their initial claims were denied by the Home Office, according to an analysis of official data.
The Refugee Council reported that this figure represents a fivefold increase in just two years, warning that the government risks shifting the asylum crisis rather than solving it, with almost 40,000 migrants still living in hotels.
The Home Office stated that it has doubled the number of initial asylum decisions and allocated additional funding to increase court hearings. A spokesperson reaffirmed the government's commitment to phasing out asylum hotels and reducing the "unacceptably high" accommodation costs.
According to the Refugee Council, more asylum claims are being rejected due to stricter legislation introduced by the previous Conservative government, making it harder for applicants to prove refugee status.
Following the enactment of the Nationality and Borders Act, only 40% of Afghan applicants were granted asylum in the latter half of last year—compared to nearly all Afghan applicants in previous years. Many of those denied are believed to be challenging the decision through appeals. Currently, Afghans are the largest nationality residing in hotels and among those arriving via small boats in recent years.
Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon has called for more accurate and fair decision-making.
"Ensuring correct initial decisions will provide safety to genuine refugees, allowing them to contribute to communities while ensuring those without the right to remain are removed with dignity," he said.
The organization also highlighted that individuals stuck in the appeals backlog still require housing, warning that without improvements, the cost of asylum hotels could reach £1.5 billion this year.
A government spokesperson stated: "The asylum system we inherited was inadequate, which is why we are urgently working to restart asylum processing and reduce the backlog, aiming to save taxpayers an estimated £4 billion over the next two years."
The government has allocated funding for additional court sessions in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber to speed up asylum processing and improve efficiency.
Ministry of Justice statistics show that by the end of 2024, there were 41,987 asylum appeals pending, a sharp rise from 7,173 at the beginning of 2023.
The Refugee Council’s analysis also suggests that asylum appeal applications increased by 71% last year compared to 2023.
