The UK's asylum appeals backlog has surged to 156,000 cases, with average waits of 65 weeks for an appeal decision, according to a Home Office factsheet accompanying the Immigration and Asylum Bill. The figure sits alongside improved numbers: asylum claims fell 21% to about 86,000 in the year ending June 2026, small boat arrivals dropped 23% to around 33,000, and the number of people in asylum hotels halved to 16,021. The government presents the figures as evidence of faster initial decision-making, with 229,000 people receiving initial decisions since July 2024.

Claims down, but appeals pile up

Of the 86,000 people who claimed asylum in the year to June 2026, 40% arrived by small boat and 41% first arrived legally before claiming. The number waiting for an initial decision fell to 40,168, its lowest since March 2019, and 77% below the June 2023 peak. But the appeals system has moved in the opposite direction: the backlog rose from 30,000 in June 2023 to 156,000 by June 2026. The factsheet also notes that more than 93,000 people remain on asylum support, most of them in asylum accommodation rather than hotels.

What the Bill would change

The Immigration and Asylum Bill proposes a single definition of a protection claim, combining refugee status and humanitarian protection, to simplify decision-making and appeals. It would also require asylum seekers receiving taxpayer-funded accommodation and support to contribute to its cost once able to do so, and would strengthen enforcement powers and modern slavery reporting duties for businesses. Ministers have pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, and the Budget provides £150 million in 2027-28 for additional large accommodation sites. This article gives general information only and is not personal immigration advice.

Sources: GOV.UK Immigration and Asylum Bill factsheet, IndexBox, VisaVerge.