The backlog of asylum appeals in the UK has reached a record high, with nearly 87,500 cases waiting to be resolved by the end of March 2026, according to new Ministry of Justice figures. The number represents a 70% increase compared with the same period last year.
The figures show that while the government has made significant progress in reducing the backlog of initial asylum decisions, the growing number of appeals has offset those gains. At the end of March, 35,744 asylum applications were awaiting a first decision, down from 85,839 before Labour took office in June 2024. However, the total number of outstanding asylum cases, including appeals, stood at 123,194 – around 4,000 higher than when the current government took office.
Cabinet minister Hilary Benn said the government had dealt with the initial backlog and was processing asylum claims much more quickly. The Home Office also highlighted a 72% reduction in people waiting for an initial decision since June 2023 and said reforms were being introduced to speed up the appeals process.
Migration experts, however, argue that the problem has largely shifted from one stage of the system to another. Peter Walsh of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said faster decisions and a lower approval rate have led to more refusals, increasing the number of appeals.
The figures also sparked discussion over government claims on removals. While Benn said nearly 70,000 people with no right to remain had been deported, official statistics show that the total actually refers to all returns, including voluntary departures. Of the 67,188 returns recorded between July 2024 and March 2026, more than 50,000 were voluntary, while around 16,500 were enforced removals.