New Refugee Council analysis of official statistics calls on the Government to take immediate steps to help the struggling asylum appeals system cope, following the surge in decisions to clear the backlog of cases waiting for an initial decision. 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 latest official statistics shows a five-fold increase in the number of asylum claims waiting for an appeal hearing. Statistics from the Ministry of Justice show at the end of 2024 there were 41,987 asylum appeals in the court’s backlog, up from 7,173 at the start of 2023[1], an alarming 34,814 (485%) rise in the number of asylum appeals waiting to be processed in the courts over the last two years.

In the last three months of 2024 figures show there were 12,183 appeals lodged by people who had their asylum claims rejected following steps taken by the new Government to restart asylum decision making when they arrived in office. The total number of asylum application appeals that were lodged in 2024 has increased by 71% year on year.[2]

The Refugee Council has done further analysis of recent Home Office statistics which showed that at the end of 2024 there were 38,079 people being accommodated in hotels by the Home Office [3] and estimates that if those numbers were to remain the same throughout 2025, the annual cost could reach nearly £1.5bn.[4]

Resolving asylum cases efficiently results lower costs to the taxpayer as people stop being eligible for Home Office support and the use of hotels enabling refugees to start rebuilding their lives and work. The charity says it has found that in the effort to ramp up decision-making there have been concerns regarding the quality of decisions, as new caseworkers were hired and initial interviews shortened.

The Refugee Council says that overall more claims are being refused due to legislation introduced by the previous Conservative government making it harder for refugees to have their asylum claim accepted. As a result, 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 4 in 10 at the end of 2024. [5]

The Refugee Council warns that considering the obvious barriers to removing Afghans and the ongoing concerns about the safety of their country, many people are likely to appeal if their asylum claims are rejected. Currently, Afghans make up the highest nationality accommodated in hotels, and those arriving by small boats in the last two years.

The Refugee Council release this analysis to call on the Government to:

• Review all appeals within the Home Office so that errors can be corrected without the need for the tribunal to process the appeal.
• Revert to the previous standard of proof for asylum claims that was in place prior to the enactment of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
• Where there are clear barriers to being able to remove someone, the Government should also consider granting temporary leave so that people can support themselves.
• Restart decision making on Syrian asylum claims.
• Commit to ending the use of hotels by the end of 2025 and trigger the break clause in the asylum accommodation contracts next year moving to delivery by local authorities.

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. The use of hotels in communities across the country has become a damaging symbol of government failure and a flashpoint for community tensions. For too long billions of pounds have been wasted on appallingly run contracts with private companies that cream off vast profits. There needs to be a clear plan to stopping the use of hotels by the end of this year and to reform the asylum accommodation system so local authorities can house people in communities with the support they need.

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.

Notes to editors:

1. The Refugee Council is the nation’s refugee charity. We help people who have fled war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support refugees to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work.
2. Ministry of Justice, Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: October to December 2024 Tables FIA_1 and FIA_4
3. Home Office, Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024, Asylum and Resettlement – Asylum seekers in receipt of support, table Asy_D09
4. In July 2024, the Home Office estimated that the average cost of accommodating someone in a hotel was £105 per night. See The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Amendment) Regulations 2024 impact assessment. Accommodating 38,079 people would cost an average of £3.99m per day, or £1,459,377,675 for a year.
5. Home Office, Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024, Asylum and Resettlement - Applications, Initial decisions, and Resettlement, table Asy_D02
6. Home Office, Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024, Asylum and Resettlement - Asylum applications awaiting a decision, table Asy_D03

-----------

[1] Tribunals statistics quarterly: October to December 2024

[2] Ministry of Justice, Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: October to December 2024. Tables FIA_1 and FIA_4

[3] Home Office, Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024, Asylum and Resettlement – Asylum seekers in receipt of support, table Asy_D09

[4] In July 2024, the Home Office estimated that the average cost of accommodating someone in a hotel was £105 per night. See The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Amendment) Regulations 2024 impact assessment. Accommodating 38,079 people would cost an average of £3.99m per day, or £1,459,377,675 for a year.

[5] Home Office, Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024, Asylum and Resettlement - Applications, Initial decisions, and Resettlement, table Asy_D02