New Ministry of Justice statistics released on 11 June show that the number of asylum appeals awaiting a tribunal ruling has climbed to an unprecedented 87,450—more than seven times higher than a decade ago. The data reveal that while the Home Office has reduced the stock of initial asylum decisions, the volume of people challenging refusals has surged, creating a second-tier bottleneck in the immigration system. Average waiting times for an appeal decision now stand at 67 weeks, up from 54 weeks a year earlier. Success rates have also dipped slightly, with 40 percent of appellants winning their case in the first quarter of 2026 compared with 43 percent in 2025. The figures underline the scale of judicial pressure as ministers seek to end the costly practice of housing asylum seekers in hotels before the next election. For local authorities and companies that provide accommodation or support services, the growing appeal queue complicates planning and budgeting, because individuals cannot legally work while their cases are unresolved yet must still be housed. Employers that rely on the Skilled Worker route should also note that judicial resources are being increasingly diverted to asylum work, a factor that migration practitioners say is lengthening lead times for some work-visa appeals. In response, the government confirmed that an independent Asylum Appeals Body—in effect a specialist fast-track chamber—is due to open in August with a target of resolving all cases within 24 weeks. Critics question whether that timetable is realistic given recruitment challenges for immigration judges and interpreters. Refugee charities argue that without broader reforms, including early legal advice and better decision quality at first instance, the backlog will simply re-emerge. Nevertheless, the publication offers employers rare visibility into the downstream effects of asylum policy and is likely to feed into corporate risk assessments around reputational exposure, especially for sectors that use large numbers of subcontracted workers who may have uncertain immigration status.
Source: ITV News
