Asylum Appeals Backlog Hits Record High Despite Falling Crossings

The backlog for asylum appeals has reached a record high of 90,341 cases, according to Ministry of Justice figures published on Thursday. The surge comes despite small boat arrivals on high-risk days falling to a five-year low.

Official data published by the Ministry of Justice reveals that the total number of asylum appeals in the system stood at 90,341 at the end of June. This represents a 51 per cent increase from the 59,925 cases recorded 12 months earlier, and marks a massive jump from June 2020 when the backlog stood at just 5,209 cases.

The sharp rise in pending legal challenges coincides with a notable shift in Channel crossings. The Home Office told GB News that arrivals this year on so-called “red days”—periods when crossings are assessed as likely or highly likely due to weather conditions—have fallen to a five-year low.

Despite fewer crossings taking place on these high-risk days, the judicial and administrative apparatus responsible for handling appeals is facing an unprecedented volume of contested decisions. The stark contrast between lower active arrivals and a swelling legal queue has intensified focus on the efficiency of the immigration appeals framework.

Government departments continue to face questions over how the backlog accumulated so rapidly over the past four years and what measures are being implemented to clear the tens of thousands of active cases currently sitting within the justice system.

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p class=”source-link”>Original source: Read the full report at GB News