Public to decide asylum appeals as Mahmood pledges to speed up decisions

Members of the public will be trained to decide asylum appeals instead of immigration judges under reforms to speed up cases.

The home secretary will set out plans for a new independent body, which officials say will prioritise cases in the public interest and high-harm offenders, starting from late 2027. Alongside this, Shabana Mahmood pledged the removal of 45,000 failed claimants and foreign offenders.

The Independent Immigration Appeals Authority will be made up of “professionally trained and independently appointed” adjudicators from a range of backgrounds, similar to magistrates.

Shabana Mahmood pledged the removal of 45,000 failed claimants and foreign offenders (PA)

The government hopes that broadening the eligibility criteria will allow for a significant increase in capacity and lead to faster outcomes.

The reforms, to be laid out in the Immigration and Asylum Bill this week, will also seek to create a “single route” that prevents migrants from appealing against a rejected claim and bringing further claims about new matters before their removal.

Meanwhile, the Home Office said expansions to two immigration removal centres would help to ensure the removal of more than 45,000 people found to have no right to stay in the UK.

The refurbished Campsfield site in Oxfordshire was officially opened last December while work is ongoing to open Haslar in Gosport.

Capacity at Campsfield, which opened last year, will be increased under the plans (PA)

The project will seek to increase bed spaces at Haslar from 130 on opening to 600 beds, and at Campsfield from 160 to 400, it is understood.

The home secretary said: “Today, our appeals tribunal is overwhelmed. As a result, people are gaming the system, lodging vexatious appeals to frustrate their removal.

“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.”

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