0h 3min, mar 12, 2026 y - Record High Backlog Asylum Appeal

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The UK's asylum appeals backlog has reached a record high, almost doubling in size in almost a year, according to data published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on Thursday.

There were 80,333 appeals waiting to be heard at the end of 2025, up from 41,987 a year earlier and the average waiting time for an asylum appeal was 63 weeks, up from 48 weeks in 2024.

The rise coincides with Labour's first full year in government, threatening to undermine a key manifesto pledge to restore order to the asylum system and end the use of hotels.

A government spokesperson said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was "getting the asylum system moving again".

The number of people waiting for an initial asylum decision was "down nearly 50% under this government", they said.

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