Asylum appeal backlog doubles in a year, Home Office statistics show

Over 80,000 people in appeal queue against initial rejection at end of 2025 - 91% more than a year before

The backlog of people awaiting asylum appeals after having their initial application turned down has nearly doubled in a year, threatening to undermine a key pledge of Keir Starmer's government.

Home Office statistics released on Thursday show more than 80,000 cases were waiting to be reassessed at the end of 2025 - a 91% increase on a year before. The backlog significantly outnumbers the number of people waiting for their initial decision, which was 64,000 at the end of December 2025.