The number of migrants appealing against their rejected asylum claims has hit a record high. More cases are taking over a year to process, meaning migrants and asylum seekers are staying in hotels for longer. There were 50,976 asylum appeals still unresolved as of March, official figures show.

This is the highest appeals backlog there has been and almost double last year’s total. A claim to be heard by the courts now takes an average 54 weeks. A third of all asylum cases have been in the works for more than a year.

An asylum seeker’s chance of avoiding deportation is greater the longer they remain in the UK as they gain rights which can be used to block them being deported. Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects an individual’s relationships developed while in a country.

Meanwhile, the total number of migrants to arrive in the UK on small boats for the year so far stands at more than 18,400.

Home Office figures show 437 people made the crossing on Friday (June 20) in seven boats while on Saturday a further 583 crossed in eight boats, bringing the total for the two days to 1,020.

The arrivals came despite the French appearing to take a tougher stance on their beaches. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the situation is “deteriorating”. He threatened a visa crackdown.

The PM signalled that countries which didn’t do enough to tackle the irregular migration crisis, for example by taking back failed asylum seekers, could face repercussions in the numbers of visas issued to their citizens.

Sir Keir’s message came as French police were seen to employ more robust tactics on the beaches this week, including using teargas. But they were also seen to stand by and watch once migrants had entered the water to board a dinghy in the hope of crossing the English Channel.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to move all asylum seekers out of hotels by 2029. But the latest figures help illustrate the scale of the challenge.

The Government will bring in a mandatory 24 week deadline for all asylum appeals via its Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

The Ministry of Justice is working to tackle a shortage of lawyers by boosting legal aid fees by 10% to make it more appealing to reprsent asylum seekers and reduce delays.

Most asylum seekers receive a £50 allowance per week and free accommodation to avoid them falling into destitution.

According to The Times, there were 106,771 asylum seekers in receipt of support, with 32,345 in migrant hotels and 66,683 in houses, bedsits and flats.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We inherited an asylum system under exceptional pressure and we make no apologies for taking the necessary and immediate action to restore order, increasing asylum decision making and returning nearly 30,000 people with no right to be here.”