UK moves to end asylum delays, Nigerians on edge

UK Overhauls Asylum Appeals System, Impacting Nigerian Migrants

24 August 2025

The UK government has announced sweeping changes to its asylum appeals process, a move set to affect thousands of Nigerian migrants awaiting decisions.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that a new panel of independent adjudicators will be established to fast-track appeals, which currently take more than a year on average.

According to official figures, there are 51,000 pending appeals, while 32,000 asylum seekers — many of them Nigerians — remain housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense. The government has pledged to close asylum hotels before the end of this parliament, though local councils have resisted, with protests breaking out in towns such as Epping following crime allegations involving asylum seekers.

For Nigerians seeking refuge or legal status, the reforms could bring swifter decisions — but also quicker deportations for those whose cases are rejected.

Cooper insisted the government remains committed to ending hotel use, but emphasised the need for the transition to be carried out in “a properly managed way.”

The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from the Conservatives and Reform UK, who are demanding tougher measures, including mass deportations of irregular arrivals.