Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has revealed plans for a significant reform of the UK’s immigration and asylum appeals process, aiming to introduce a faster decision-making system by the
autumn. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Cooper announced that the Government is preparing a "major overhaul" of how appeals are handled, with a new fast-track mechanism for asylum seekers at the heart of the changes.
“We need a major overhaul of the appeal process, and that’s what we are going to do in the autumn,” Cooper said. “If we speed up the decision-making appeal system and continue to increase returns, we hope to significantly reduce the overall numbers in the asylum system. That is the most effective way to restore order and control.”
According to The Sunday Times, sources familiar with the proposals said the fast-track system would be designed to handle asylum claims and appeals "within weeks," dramatically reducing the current lengthy timelines.
However, to implement such a system, additional resources will be needed. The Ministry of Justice is expected to receive extra funding to expand judicial capacity, which includes hiring more judges and increasing the number of court sessions.
The proposed model is anticipated to mirror a similar fast-track process introduced under the previous Labour government. That system was eventually scrapped after courts ruled it "structurally unfair" and unlawful. Cooper, aware of past criticisms, stressed in a June appearance before the Home Affairs Committee that fairness would be central to the new framework. She noted the fast-track process would focus on asylum seekers from "predominantly safe countries" and would operate in parallel with the main asylum system.
In addition to reforming appeals, the Government's autumn package will also propose stricter rules concerning "exceptional circumstances" and the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in immigration cases. Article 8 is often cited by individuals seeking to stay in the UK on the basis of their right to private and family life.
The Government had already signalled its intentions in its Immigration White Paper published in May, which outlined plans for a new legal framework. The aim is to tighten and clarify guidelines for cases falling outside existing family immigration routes, limiting the scope of Article 8 claims in immigration decisions. Photo by UK Home Office, Wikimedia commons.