More than 128,000 people were waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application at the end of last year, figures show.
The number was down by more than a quarter on the record high reached in June last year, when more than 175,000 people were awaiting a decision.
Statistics published by the Home Office on Thursday also confirm the backlog of older asylum cases – which can equate to more than one person – in the system had not been cleared by the end of 2023, despite a claim to the contrary from the Prime Minister.
The latest figures show that as of December 31, there were 3,902 legacy cases – those where applications were made before the end of June 2022 – awaiting an initial decision.
In January, the Home Office was reprimanded by the statistics watchdog after the Government was accused of lying about clearing part of the asylum backlog.
UK Statistics Authority chairman Sir Robert Chote warned the “episode may affect public trust” as he outlined the findings of the body’s investigation into complaints received about Rishi Sunak’s claim ministers had “cleared” the outstanding cases in question.
Those figures, up to December 28, showed thousands of asylum cases were waiting to be dealt with despite the Home Office saying it had succeeded in meeting Mr Sunak’s target, prompting critics to accuse the Government of playing “fast and loose” with the figures.
The latest figures also show a rise in the non-legacy backlog.
There were 91,350 applications made on or after 28 June, 2022 still awaiting an initial decision as of the end of December 2023.
That rose from 85,505 at the end of September 2023.
A total of 128,786 people were waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application at the end of December, down 20% from 160,919 at the end of December 2022.
The total is down 27% from the 175,457 people waiting for a decision at the end of June last year, which was the highest figure since current records began in 2010.
The number of people waiting more than six months for an initial decision also fell, standing at 83,254 at the end of December, down 24% year-on-year from 109,641, and also 41% down from the record 139,961 at the end of June 2023.
