UK asylum backlog eases after Rwanda deportation policy dropped

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Nearly 63,000 people awaiting decisions on their cases are expected to be granted asylum by the Labour government, according to an analysis by the Refugee Council on Thursday.

After coming to power, Labour scraped the controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, accelerating the processing of claims, aiming to tackle the UK's asylum backlog, which stood at 118,882 people by the end of June 2024.

The charity’s analysis predicts that by early 2025, the backlog will reduce to 118,063 – a notable improvement of 59,000 fewer cases than if the previous Conservative government’s Rwanda deportation plan had remained in place.

Based on current grant rates, the Refugee Council estimates that 62,801 asylum seekers will be granted refuge in the UK.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, welcomed the progress but warned that Labour still faces major challenges.

"Labour has inherited an asylum system that was utterly broken. Decisive early action has been taken to stop the system from falling over, but a comprehensive reform is needed to create a fair, orderly, and humane asylum system," he said.

In addition to addressing the backlog, Labour has committed to ending the use of asylum hotels – a key pledge from their manifesto.

Downing Street reiterated its commitment to this promise on Wednesday, though reports have surfaced suggesting the Home Office may consider reopening some hotels previously closed by the Conservatives.

Despite the reports, the Home Office has not confirmed whether it plans to use more hotels or reopen closed facilities.