"there have been unacceptable delays once people appeal."
The government has announced plans to overhaul the asylum appeals system as it attempts to reduce the number of migrants staying in hotels.
A new, independent body will be set up, staffed by adjudicators tasked with hearing appeals more quickly.
The change comes as ministers face mounting pressure to end the reliance on hotels, which still house 32,000 asylum seekers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was taking practical steps to address the issue:
“We have speeded up initial decisions, but there have been unacceptable delays once people appeal.”
Appeals currently take just over a year on average to be heard. More than 51,000 cases are still awaiting rulings. During that time, failed asylum seekers are housed at public expense.
The government hopes that a new panel of independent adjudicators will be able to deal with cases more swiftly than the courts. More details on the reforms are expected in the autumn.
The political debate around asylum hotels has intensified. The Conservatives said the system is in chaos, while Reform UK has called for mass deportations of people arriving through illegal or irregular routes.
Frustration has also grown among local communities.
Demonstrations took place on August 23 in Bristol, Liverpool, London, Mold, Perth and County Antrim. Anti-racism campaigners staged counter-protests, with police keeping opposing groups apart.
A 37-year-old woman was arrested in Bristol on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. Police in Liverpool made 11 arrests.
Epping has become a flashpoint for protests since July, after a resident asylum seeker was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Thousands have gathered outside the Bell Hotel, which has been housing asylum seekers.
On August 19, the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction blocking further use of the Bell Hotel for asylum accommodation.
The court agreed that the hotel breached planning rules, creating public safety risks. Current residents must leave by 4 pm on September 12.
The government has said it will seek the right to appeal against the ruling.
Cooper stressed that the government was committed to ending hotel use but said it had to be done carefully:
“We are committed to closing all asylum hotels, but it must be in a properly managed way.”
The Epping ruling could encourage further legal challenges.
Reports suggest other councils, including Conservative-led Hillingdon, are considering action. Hillingdon currently houses 2,238 asylum seekers.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged her party’s council leaders to act.
Badenoch said in an open letter: “Take the same steps if your legal advice supports it.”
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage also said councils under his party would do “everything in their power” to follow Epping’s lead.
According to Home Office figures, 131 local authorities across the UK currently use contingency accommodation for asylum seekers, mostly hotels.
Of those, 74 are Labour-led, 30 Liberal Democrat, 19 Conservative, nine Green, and one Reform UK.
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