A surge in the number of failed asylum seekers appealing against their rejections has left the system struggling to cope, figures have revealed.
The latest official statistics show a 485% rise in the number of asylum appeals waiting to be processed in the courts over the last two years – taking the total to 41,987.
In the last three months alone, 12,183 appeals were lodged by people who had their asylum claims rejected following steps taken by the Government to restart decision-making when they arrived in office.
“This backlog built up as a result of the near-collapse of decision-making under the previous government, as it focused its approach on the Rwanda scheme,” the Refugee Council said.
The charity’s analysis has revealed there were 38,079 people being accommodated in hotels by the Home Office at the end of 2024, and estimates that if those numbers were to remain the same throughout 2025, the annual cost could reach “nearly £1.5 billion”.
The Refugee Council believes that more claims are being refused due to legislation introduced by the previous government making it harder for refugees to have their asylum claims accepted.
There has been a significant reduction in the number of asylum claims from Afghans that were granted.
Previously, nearly all Afghan claims had been accepted by the Home Office in comparison to only four in 10 at the end of 2024, the charity said.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “We welcome the Government’s continued attempt to remedy a broken asylum system, but more needs to be done to ensure right, first-time decision-making, so a new growing backlog is not created in a different part of the system.
“Resolving asylum cases well will help reduce costs, and the number of people trapped in limbo, stuck in hotels unable to work or move on with their lives.
“Right, first-time decision-making will ensure refugees are given safety to go on to contribute to communities across the country and those who don’t have a right to stay in the UK are removed with dignity and respect.”