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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

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

Home Office Sir Keir Starmer
Counter-protesters at Stand Up to Racism Scotland rally in Glasgow holding unity signs
A pro-immigration rally in Glasgow in December, which was countering an anti-migrant rally taking place at the same time. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

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.

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