Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are currently awaiting the results of asylum (a) claims and (b) appeals.

Data on the number of outstanding decisions and cases awaiting appeal is published as part of the Government’s Transparency Agenda. Further information can be found via the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-february-2016

As of the end of December 2015 there were 18,060 cases awaiting an initial decision with 10,193 cases having lodged an appeal and awaiting either a first hearing or further appeal hearing dates.

We aim to decide all straightforward asylum claims within 6 months, however there will be some claims which are complex. We aim to decide these cases within 12 months.

This data relates to asylum claims submitted post October 2006 and includes asylum cases which are still awaiting the results of their asylum claim, where no initial decision has been made. It also includes asylum cases awaiting the results of their asylum appeal, where the claimant has lodged a first appeal and it has not been heard, as well as cases where the claimant has lodged an appeal and it has not been decided. Therefore these asylum cases have not exhausted their appeal rights.