UK Announces 24-Week Target for Certain Foreigners Challenging Immigration Decisions
- The UK Home Office has announced a 24-week deadline for certain asylum and immigration appeal decisions, down from an average of 67 weeks
- The new target, which took effect on August 12, 2026, covers non-detained foreign national offenders and asylum seekers receiving government support
- The UK government said the faster appeal process could save taxpayers an estimated £6.9 billion and help close remaining asylum hotels
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The UK government has introduced a 24-week target for resolving a category of asylum and immigration appeals, as part of a push to deport people faster and cut the costs of housing failed applicants.
The First-tier Tribunal is now required to hear and decide appeals from non-detained foreign national offenders (FNOs) and people receiving government asylum support and accommodation within 24 weeks of a case being received.
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The change took effect on August 12, 2026, according to a statement published by the UK Home Office.
The current average waiting time for a tribunal decision stands at 67 weeks, meaning the new target represents a cut of more than a third.
Why the UK is tightening appeal timelines
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Anna Turley, said the appeal system had been burdened by delays for too long, with taxpayers bearing the cost while cases stretched on for months or years.
"This new 24-week target will see cases resolved faster, reduce reliance on taxpayer-funded accommodation and speed up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK," Turley said.
The government said faster decisions would free up space in asylum accommodation and contribute to estimated taxpayer savings of £6.9 billion.
Overall asylum costs have already dropped by £1 billion since the 2024 general election, and the number of asylum hotels in use has fallen from a peak of 400 in 2023 to fewer than 170, with the government committing to shut every remaining one before the end of this parliament.
Nearly 10,000 FNOs have been removed from the UK in the period since the election, a figure 36% higher than in the equivalent 21-month period before it.
UK asylum: New appeals body to handle backlog
Despite the new deadline, the tribunal still carries a backlog of more than 150,000 pending appeals. The government acknowledged that the 24-week target alone would not be enough to address that volume.
The Immigration and Asylum Bill, which cleared its second reading earlier in August, proposes creating a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA) to run alongside the First-tier Tribunal. The IIAA would gradually absorb new cases, allowing the tribunal to work through existing ones. Independent adjudicators within the IIAA would be able to prioritise high-harm FNOs and cases involving disputed human rights claims.
To boost capacity in the short term, sitting days in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber are set to increase by 19% in 2025 to 2026 compared with the previous year.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that 13 UK hotels had closed after providing accommodation for asylum seekers.
UK asylum seekers face £10,000 repayment
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK government was planning to introduce a £10,000 repayment scheme for asylum support under the new Immigration and Asylum Bill.
Under the proposals, asylum seekers who gain the right to work in the UK will need to pay the flat-rate fee before they can settle permanently.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood explained the reasoning behind the changes, saying: "Asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility. Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so."
Source: Legit.ng
