Sharp increase in asylum appeals lodged in First-tier Tribunal

The latest tribunal quarterly statistics show a very sharp increase in the number of asylum appeals lodged in the First-tier Tribunal in the period October to December 2023. This is due to the considerable increase in the number of Home Office asylum decisions during that time. Waiting times for asylum appeals are currently reported as 44 weeks on average but that is measured at the date of disposal. The reality is that waiting times for anyone lodging an appeal now will be very long, unless resources are urgently piled into appeals. Asylum seekers are usually supported by the Home Office while awaiting the outcome of their appeal.

In the Ministry of Justice, Q3 is October to December 2023, apparently.

Dealing with the new appeals backlog will be much tougher than the initial decision backlog because it involves not just more Home Office staff but also judges, hearing rooms and lawyers.