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What is Cooper's plan to fast-track asylum appeals?
The Independent
|August 25, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper are rolling out a new process for fast-tracking asylum appeals and tackling the spiralling backlog of cases in the system.
The prime minister and home secretary hit out at “completely unacceptable” delays in the appeals process, which have left some failed asylum seekers in the system for years.
Yesterday, Ms Cooper said the asylum system was left “in complete chaos” by the Conservatives, promising “practical steps” to bring it under control. The announcement comes as Labour is under mounting pressure to restore order to the asylum system, with the weekend dominated by protests outside hotels housing migrants.
The Independent looks at what the new asylum appeals process is and whether it will help the government in its mission to end the use of asylum hotels.
What is changing?
The government is establishing a new independent body to deal with asylum appeals, made up of professional adjudicators. It will replace the role of judges in hearing asylum appeals and will give adjudicators the power to prioritise the cases of those in asylum accommodation and foreign national offenders.
This story is from the August 25, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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