Asylum judges to be replaced by the public in bid to fix ‘overwhelmed’ system
The UK will overhaul its asylum appeals system by replacing immigration judges with a new independent body made up of publicly appointed adjudicators, in a bid to speed up removals and reduce case backlogs.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil plans for the Independent Immigration Appeals Authority, which will hear asylum cases from late 2027. Officials say the new system will prioritise high-harm offenders and cases deemed to be in the public interest.
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The authority will be staffed by “professionally trained and independently appointed” adjudicators drawn from a range of backgrounds, in a model similar to magistrates. Ministers say the aim is to expand capacity and deliver faster decisions.
The reforms will be included in the upcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill and are designed to create a “single route” for appeals, preventing repeated claims or the introduction of new grounds after rejection.
Alongside the tribunal overhaul, the Home Office said expansion work on immigration removal centres would support efforts to remove more than 45,000 people with no right to remain in the UK.
The refurbished Campsfield centre in Oxfordshire was reopened last December, while work continues to expand the Haslar site in Gosport, reports the Evening Standard.
Capacity at Haslar is expected to rise from around 130 to 600 beds, while Campsfield will increase from 160 to around 400.
Ms Mahmood said the current appeals system is “overwhelmed” and accused some claimants of “gaming the system” through repeated or “vexatious” appeals.
She said: “Our new appeals body will ensure claims are heard swiftly and fairly. Those with a legitimate claim will get their hearing. Those who have no right to remain in this country, and are abusing the system, will be swiftly removed.”