According to Interior Ministry documents, the oldest asylum application is almost 17 years old

An asylum application made almost 17 years ago is still being processed by the Home Office, new data shows.

Another 19 cases were between 10 and 16.5 years old, the records show The times disclose under freedom of information laws.

Records show one of the long-running cases remains under review as government officials examine whether the plaintiff was involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Another case that had been awaiting a decision for many years was identified as being of potential counter-terrorism interest. The times reported.

In two cases, the asylum applications concerned prisoners serving life sentences. Another was reportedly from a convicted sex offender fighting deportation.

In June, the backlog of asylum applications awaiting processing stood at 224,700. According to government figures, the total number of asylum cases has quadrupled since 2014.

The Home Office argued that while some of these cases have been awaiting a decision for decades, they “cannot accurately be described as pending asylum applications” because “the individuals concerned are – in some cases – in prison, abroad or deceased”.

In her first days in office, Interior Secretary Yvette Cooper described discovering an asylum system that resembled “Hotel California,” where “people arrive in the asylum system and never leave.”

She told MPs that officials had “effectively stopped making most asylum decisions” due to the impact of the Illegal Migration Act, a law introduced under the Tory government.

Years of waiting for asylum decisions are not uncommon. Figures from charities in 2022 showed around 570 adults had waited more than five years for a decision in their case.

According to these figures, around 33,746 adults had been waiting for more than a year.

While asylum seekers wait for a decision on their application, they are not allowed to work to support themselves. They are often forced to live in hotel accommodation and are paid £9 a week to live on.

The Home Office is expected to spend £4.7 billion on supporting asylum seekers in 2023-2024, including £3.1 billion on hotels.

Ongoing spending pressures related to asylum and illegal migration were one of the biggest items identified in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent public spending review, estimated at £6.4 billion in 2024-2025.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Several cases included in this list have not been recorded as adjudicated but cannot accurately be described as outstanding asylum applications currently awaiting processing as the individuals concerned are – in some cases – in prison, abroad or located abroad. or deceased.

“We are committed to speeding up the asylum process and this new government has taken urgent action to restart processing and clear the backlog to ensure the system works effectively.” However, if additional security controls are required in individual cases, a If criminal proceedings are ongoing or protection issues are raised, it is right that the relevant processes are followed, no matter how long it takes.”