The Asylum Backlog, Accommodation and Cost

At the end of June 2026 there were 40,168 people (relating to 32,401 cases) awaiting an initial decision, 56% less than at the end of June 2025 and the lowest level since June 2019.

Figure 1 shows that the number of people awaiting an initial decision is at the lowest level since June 2019, falling by 77% from the June 2023 peak of 175,457. However, this remains higher than between 2010 and 2018, where the number of people waiting for a decision grew from 7,240 in December 2010 to 35,855 in December 2018.

HMCTS-published data shows that the open Asylum/Protection/Revocation of Protection caseload in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) has increased from 6,319 at the end of June 2022 to 87,450 at the end of March 2026 (latest available data at time of publication).

Financial Year Quarter Total Managed Migration Entry Clearance Family Visit Visa Deport and others [note 3] Deportation Appeals [note 4] Deprivation of Citizenship Asylum/Protection/Revocation of Protection [note 5][note 6] Human Rights [note 5] EEA Free Movement [note 5] 2026/27 Q1 155,798 1 3 0 [x] 29 294 90,341 31,459 33,671

In the FTTIAC, the mean time taken to clear appeals across all categories was at 65 weeks in the latest quarter, 13 weeks longer compared to the same period a year ago. The mean time for Asylum/Protection was 72 weeks, Human Rights was 74 weeks and EEA Free Movement was 48 weeks.

Of the disposals made in the FTTIAC this quarter, 45% were determined i.e. a decision was made by a judge at a hearing or on the papers (compared to 50% in Q1 2025/26); 29% were withdrawn (compared to 27% in Q1 2025/26); 17% were struck out for non-payment of the appeal fee (compared to 9% in Q1 2025/26), and 9% were invalid or out of time (compared to 10% in Q1 2025/26). Around two fifths (38%) of the 7,500 cases determined at a hearing or on the papers were allowed/granted, although this varied by case type (39% of Asylum/Protection, 42% of Human Rights and 26% of EEA Free Movement appeals were allowed/granted).

After a period of stability in 2022/23 following recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, receipts rose steeply from Q3 2023/24 driven by increases in Asylum/Protection/Revocation of Protection (AP), due to the Home Office’s work to tackle the backlog of legacy asylum claims. However, receipts have shown early signs of falling again in the latest two quarters.

In 2023, the Home Office made more than four times as many initial asylum decisions as in 2022, mainly in the second half of 2023, which saw nearly 76,000 initial asylum decisions made. However, this shifted pressure into the appeals stage where constraints on legal and judicial capacity created another backlog.

evidence from the Home Office suggests that, in 2024-25, 68% of people who received a refusal at initial decision went on to lodge an appeal.

The number of cases in the asylum system increased more than fourfold over the decade to June 2024, from 55,814 at the end of June 2014 to 224,742 at the end of June 2024 (as shown in Figure 1). Of these, 40% of cases were awaiting an initial decision, whilst the remaining cases will be those awaiting an appeal outcome or removal from the UK.

A breakdown on the number of cases awaiting an appeal outcome and awaiting removal is not currently available beyond June 2024 due to work on the transition to a new caseworking system, though work is ongoing to reinstate the data and figures.

The increase in the number of decisions from the YE June 2024 was due to a combination of factors, including an increase in the number of asylum decision makers, and improvements in decision maker productivity.

Initial decisions could not be made for many asylum claims made on or after 7 March 2023 because they were put on hold under the terms of the Illegal Migration Act. The Home Secretary laid a statutory instrument to remove the retrospective application of the Act on 22 July 2024. Since decision making fully resumed in October to December 2024, the number of people awaiting an initial decision has decreased each quarter.

In October to December 2025, the caseload of asylum appeals, including protection and revocation of protection, stood at 80,333. This was nearly double the caseload in the same period the previous year (41,987). This increase reflects higher volumes of initial asylum decisions flowing into the tribunal system.

In our sample of 5000 people who claimed asylum in January 2023, we found that the claims of more than a third (41%) of people in our sample remain open but are not awaiting an appeal decision or the outcome of further submissions to the Home Office. These claims are not being progressed, and the individuals involved have not been removed from the UK.

At the end of June 2026, there were 93,293 individuals in receipt of asylum support. This was 12% lower than the end of June 2025 and 25% fewer than at the end of September 2023, when the number of supported asylum seekers peaked at 123,758 people.

16,021 (17%) were in hotel accommodation, 50% lower than at the end of June 2025, and 71% lower than the peak of 56,018 at the end of September 2023

73,068 (78%) were in non-hotel accommodation, such as dispersal, 3% higher than at the end of June 2025

At the end of June 2026, 40,168 people were awaiting an initial decision and 93,293 people were receiving asylum support. This indicates that most people receiving asylum support are in other parts of the asylum system, such as awaiting the outcome of appeals or failed asylum seekers.

At the end of June 2026, 5% (4,987) of people receiving asylum support were doing so under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

The Home Office uses former military sites as part of the government’s commitment to stop using hotels. At the end of June 2026, 744 people were in Wethersfield, Braintree, and 418 people were in Crowborough Training Camp, Wealden.

The largest contributing element of the costs is direct spending on asylum support, on which the Home Office spent around £4.0 billion in 2024-25 (£4.7 billion in 2023-24). The main elements of this are grants to local authorities (around £883 million, including for unaccompanied children seeking asylum) and direct spending on accommodation (around £2.7 billion); the remainder is cash support and other asylum-related costs.

Based on actual costs, we estimate that the total Home Office and MoJ spending on asylum is around £4.9 billion for 2024-25. This includes key areas of spend as shown in Figure 5 on page 22. This figure does not fully capture all costs associated with the asylum system, particularly those incurred by local authorities which are difficult to calculate.

Accommodation and support £3,406 million Unaccompanied children, £636 million Intake and asylum casework, £442 million Appeals, £102 million Detention and removals £46 million

the government expects reforms to reduce asylum costs by at least £1 billion per year by 2028‑29 compared with 2024-25.

In the 2019-20 financial year, the Home Office spent around £739 million on asylum support, but in the financial year to March 2023, this increased to £3.6 billion. This included £2.3 billion on hotels, with the remaining amount mostly being spent on grants to local authorities, other types of accommodation and other asylum support costs.

£2.1 billion was spent on hotels in 2024-25, at an average of £5.77 million per day, compared to £3.0 billion spent on hotels in 2023-24 at an average of £8.3 million per day (page 75).

Asylum and Protection – 4,498,823 – – – – – – Asylum Support, Resettlement and Accommodation – – 5,424,708 4,512,567 4,181,193 – – – Asylum Group – – – – – 4,116,034 3,795,700 3,621,700

Total Resource DEL 14,711,572 17,005,341 18,856,370 18,149,688 17,919,340 19,528,445 19,736,000 19,888,500

the asylum support system which saw a rise in spending due to the increased use of hotel accommodation, peaking in 2023-24, with year-on-year reductions in 2024-25 and 2025-26

Home Office costs for Afghan resettlement were £222.1 million in 2025-26 (an increase from £205 million in 2024-25)

It originally estimated that the total contract cost would be £4.5 billion over 10 years. However, the current estimated total is £15.3 billion over the same period.

People accommodated in hotels account for around 35% of all people in asylum accommodation and for around 76% of the cost of the contracts (£1.3 billion out of an estimated £1.7 billion in the first seven months of 2024-25).

Data reported by suppliers suggests that hotels may be more profitable than other forms of accommodation.

Between April 2023 and January 2024, the cost of hotels ranged from around £127 to £148 per person per night.

The Home Office’s analysis suggests that large sites will cost more than hotels. The Home Office proceeded with its large sites on the basis that they would cost less than hotels. It also hopes that the large sites will be more “appropriate and sustainable” than hotels. But its latest assessments of value for money do not consider these benefits and suggest that, when sunk costs are included, the four large sites will cost approximately £46 million more than using hotels.

The Home Office no longer plans to use large sites other than Wethersfield. It found that costs increased and has now recognised that accommodating large numbers of people near small local communities is difficult to manage.

Napier and Wethersfield are the only sites remaining in use.

Planning permission is currently being sought at MOD Bicester and MOD Barnham, while discussions are underway for MOD Linton-on-Ouse. Together, these new sites could eventually house around 3,750 asylum seekers.

Meanwhile, the government is seeking to extend the use of existing military sites, including Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027.

Today’s announcement follows closely on the heels of 11 asylum hotel closures in April and a further 20 in June, meaning less than 160 now remain in use and tens of millions of pounds have been saved for taxpayers.

This progress stands in stark contrast to the position inherited and the peak of 2023 when 400 asylum hotels were in use at a staggering cost of £9 million a day.

What is known is the Home Office intends to explore use of the currently redundant MOD site located at site A of the Bicester Garrison, located between Piddington and Upper Arncott, as early as the end of 2026. The centre forms one of three new sites announced by the Home Office to house 3,700 people, with an average of 1,200 per site, as part of the government’s ambition to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.

Following the first arrivals in January 2026, the Home Office is implementing a phased and gradual approach to reaching full capacity of 540 asylum seekers.

The site would be used for a minimum of 10 years.

Asylum seekers in Germany are housed in initial reception centres for up to 18 months before being moved to collective accommodation centres.

In early 2025, about 72,600 people were entitled to asylum accommodation in the Netherlands, but most stayed in overcrowded emergency sites such as halls, ships, and tents with poor sanitation and limited health care.

From Q4 2023/24, table FIA_4 has been added to these statistics to provide data on FIA open caseload by jurisdiction. This data is only available from 2015/16 due to a change in reporting system.

You will note the number of people staying in hotels was first recorded in December 2022. This is because before 31 December 2022, data for people accommodated while their initial asylum claim was assessed did not distinguish between those in initial accommodation and those in contingency accommodation (which would include hotels).

The number of people claiming asylum increased between the YE June 2021 and the YE June 2023. This led to an increase in the number of people awaiting an initial decision because there was a comparatively low number of initial decisions until the YE June 2024.

Asy_D03: Asylum claims awaiting a decision, 2010 Q2 to 2026 Q2 - dataset

Table_FIA_4 - First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) - Total open caseload by case type, 2015/16 to Q1 2026/27 [note 1][note 2][note 7]

Asy_D09: Asylum seekers in receipt of Home Office support, 2014 Q1 to 2026 Q2 - dataset

Asy_D09: Asylum seekers in receipt of Home Office support, 2014 Q1 to 2026 Q2 - dataset