The government plans a single appeals route under the Immigration and Asylum Bill, with a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA) set to start hearing immigration and asylum appeals from late 2027, in stages.
The government announced on 30 June 2026 that it will set up the Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA) through the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which was confirmed in the King's Speech. The IIAA will establish a new framework for hearing immigration and asylum appeals.
The announcement gives the current position as an average of 61 weeks to clear cases, with more than 150,000 immigration and asylum appeals waiting to be heard.
The government says the IIAA will be able to prioritise cases in the public interest more easily. It names high-harm foreign offenders and human rights claims that are clearly without merit as examples.
The government also plans to require all claims to be brought together, creating a single appeal route. At present, a person can appeal a rejected claim and then bring further claims about new matters before removal. The government describes this as a duplication that clogs the system.
The authority is set to start hearing appeals from late 2027, phased in stages. It will be able to scale the number of adjudicators up and down according to demand. Adjudicators will be professionally trained and independently appointed, "much like a magistrate", according to the announcement. Eligibility criteria for applying to become an adjudicator will be broadened. Decisions will be fully independent, while the body will be integrated into the immigration system so that unsuccessful appeals move on to removal.
The Immigration and Asylum Bill will also provide for one single decision on asylum and humanitarian protection claims.
The announcement also gives these figures:
- The number of people waiting for an initial decision has fallen by 72% since June 2023.
- 128,000 initial decisions were made in the last year, a 32% increase on the previous year.
- Sitting days in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber are due to increase by 19% this year compared with 2024/25.
The announcement does not set out the Bill's detailed terms or give a commencement date for its provisions beyond the late 2027 start for the IIAA.
What this means for applicants
The announcement describes plans, and the IIAA is set to start hearing appeals from late 2027, in stages. The government's stated intention is that all claims will be required to be brought together, creating a single appeal route, rather than further claims about new matters being raised after a rejected claim is appealed. The announcement does not set out detailed procedures for applicants.
Related guide
Sources
- New independent appeals body to speed up removals, GOV.UK, 30 June 2026