Official figures show that the backlog of asylum appeals awaiting a hearing in the UK's immigration tribunals has passed 90,000 for the first time, rising 51 per cent in a year. Critics say this shows the Government has effectively shifted the asylum backlog from the Home Office, where ministers have been clearing older cases, into the courts, where rejected claimants lodge appeals against decisions.

Ministry of Justice data put the total at 90,341 cases at the end of June, up from 59,925 a year earlier, with the rise attributed to the Home Office's work clearing legacy claims. The overall immigration courts backlog, including asylum and other appeal types, stood at 155,798 cases, a 47 per cent annual increase, with cases taking an average of 65 weeks to clear and deportation-related appeals averaging 105 weeks. However, new asylum cases entering the system fell 20 per cent year-on-year to about 11,500, while the tribunal's case-clearing rate rose 43 per cent, suggesting the backlog may be nearing its peak. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said the backlog had "more than doubled" under Labour and called for the immigration tribunal to be scrapped.