UK to set up new independent body to decide asylum appeals

London: A new independent body will be set up to speed up decision making on asylum appeal cases in the country and tackle a mounting backlog, the UK government has announced.

The aim of the move laid out this week will be to overhaul the system to speed up decision-making on whether a refugee has the right to be granted asylum in the UK.

This is aimed at accelerating returns of those not entitled to asylum and ending hotels to house asylum-seekers awaiting a final decision on their appeals, an issue that has attracted large protests and counter-protests in parts of the country.

“We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels,” said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who blamed the previous Conservative Party for the backlog of cases.

“We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system with thousands of people in the system for years on end. That is why we are taking practical steps to fix the foundations and restore control and order to the system,” said Cooper.

“Already since the election we have reduced the backlog of people waiting for initial decisions by 24 per cent and increased failed asylum returns by 30 per cent,” she said.agencies