The UK government has announced plans to reform the migrant appeals process in a bid to tackle a growing asylum backlog and reduce reliance on hotels for housing applicants.
A new independent panel will be established to review appeals from rejected asylum seekers, with a legal requirement for cases to be resolved within 24 weeks.
Currently, appeals take an average of over a year, during which failed applicants are housed at the public’s expense.
Officials hope the reforms will ease a backlog of more than 51,000 unresolved cases, while cutting costs linked to hotel accommodation, which run into billions annually.
The issue intensified this week after a court ordered the removal of asylum seekers from a hotel in Epping, Essex.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of rising tensions.
Anti-migrant protests over the weekend led to clashes with police, while counter-demonstrators staged large anti-racism rallies.
According to Home Office figures released last week, the UK recorded a record 110,000 asylum applications in the year to June.
Immigration remains the top public concern, with the Labour government under pressure to deliver on its pledge to end hotel use for asylum housing.
