Almost 42,000 people seeking asylum in the UK are waiting for their appeal to be reviewed after being rejected by the Home Office, according to an analysis of official data.
The Refugee Council reports that this number has increased fivefold over the past two years. The organization warns that the government risks merely shifting the crisis from one part of the system to another, as nearly 40,000 migrants continue to be housed in hotels.
The Home Office stated that it has doubled the number of initial asylum decisions and allocated additional funding to increase the number of court hearings. A spokesperson emphasized that authorities aim to gradually phase out the use of hotels for asylum seekers and reduce the “unacceptably high” accommodation costs.
The Refugee Council attributes the rise in asylum refusals to legislative changes introduced by the previous Conservative government. Specifically, after the Nationality and Borders Act came into force, only 40% of Afghan applicants were granted permission to stay in the UK in the second half of last year, whereas previously, nearly all Afghan asylum seekers were granted refuge.
Many of those who were refused are likely to have lodged an appeal. At present, Afghans make up the largest group of migrants accommodated in hotels, as well as the majority of those who have arrived in the UK via small boats over the past two years.
