Overview

• Government figures show 50,976 asylum appeals pending in March 2025, nearly double last year’s total and seven times higher than in 2023.
• Appeals are taking an average of 54 weeks to be heard, prolonging rejected applicants’ stays in taxpayer-funded hotels.
• Small-boat crossings have risen 45% to 18,400 arrivals so far in 2025, adding pressure to the asylum system.
• First-instance approval rates for asylum claims have fallen from about 75% in 2023 to 43% in 2025, driving the surge in appeals.
• Annual asylum housing costs are projected at £2.5 billion by 2028/29 as ministers plan to replace hotels with permanent sites such as repurposed tower blocks.