The Home Office has released a statement confirming that thousands more immigration cases are to be heard in the coming months, apparently in a bid to speed up decisions on removing people with no right to be in the UK.

The government is investing five million pounds to increase the number of days tribunals can operate. There are apparently around 25,000 cases currently waiting to be heard or that are in the process of being heard in the tribunals. The aim is for up to 9,000 additional immigration and asylum cases to be heard before the end of March 2023. The Home Office say:

“This will speed up the process for people waiting for their cases to be heard and reduce the waiting time for legal decisions. This includes appeals to the tribunal on cases from failed asylum seekers, for example those [that] have made Channel crossings if the Home Office has denied their initial asylum claim as well as those claiming that being forced to leave the UK would breach their human rights.”

The decision has been made following the asylum casework pilot which apparently successfully cut the wait time for first interviews by 40% and has increased the number of decisions made.

The press release, and the comments from Justice Secretary Dominic Raab and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick that have been included, focus not only on tackling any delays in the tribunals but predominantly on ensuring that prompt decisions on removals are made.