When the new Government came into power following the general election, they inherited an asylum system in meltdown. The Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Rwanda Plan had brought the system to a near-standstill, as the number of people waiting for an initial decision once more started to rise.

This paper sets out the state of the asylum system that new ministers faced, and the early steps taken to address the resulting cost, chaos and human misery.

It presents key recommendations for the next steps the new Government should take to ensure the asylum system is fair and effective and to make it safer for people to seek protection in the UK.

Our key findings include:

• Due to the previous Government’s Illegal Migration Act 2023, in the months leading up to the general election the productivity of the asylum system was at its lowest since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic
• As result, the work undertaken by the previous Government to reduce the backlog had stalled with numbers waiting for a decision increasing
• Without intervention, they are projected to have reached record levels in January 2025 with a projected 177,063 people waiting for an initial decision.
• Removing the blockages created by the Illegal Migration Act 2023, there would be an estimated 59,000 fewer people waiting for a decision by the end of January 2025 compared to if no action had been taken, saving between £151 million and £240.7 million as a result.

Our key recommendations for government span all key areas of asylum policy and include:

• An immediate repeal of the Illegal Migrant Act and the Safety of Rwanda Act
• Introducing a clear and transparent plan for how the backlog of asylum claims will be processed and prioritised
• Moving away from the current system of private accommodation contracts and instead empowering local councils to provide value for money housing
• Extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days after someone receives a positive decision on their asylum claim
• Putting in place a team within the Home Office to review all asylum refusals that have been appealed to ensure the correct decision was made first time
• Limiting the conduct of age determinations to staff with relevant training
• Expanding safe routes, including by making a clear commitment on refugee resettlement
• Implementing a more effective voluntary returns programme.