More than 80,000 people waiting to be reassessed after rejection at end of 2025 – 91% more than a year before
UK politics live – latest updates
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.
The prime minister has promised to close so-called asylum hotels – hotels hired by the Home Office to house asylum seekers – by 2029 or sooner. People awaiting an appeal are not liable for removal and are housed by the Home Office if they are destitute, often in “contingency accommodation” – which in recent years has largely been hotels.
