A very well sourced rumour has it that 95% of the outstanding 450,000 asylum ‘legacy’ cases so far resolved have resulted in grants of status. However, I hear that the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal have been told to prepare for extra appeals. Who in their right mind appeals against a grant of status (well, legally you can’t anyway unless you haven’t been recognised as a refugee and want to be)? The expected increase in appeals rather suggests that at least some cases are expected to be refused.

The AIT figures may also be good news, at least in the short term, for immigration lawyers. 6,020 outstanding asylum cases were expected to be coming through to appeal between October 2007 and March 2008. An additional 670 appeals per month on top of the base level of appeals normally to be expected were anticipated as a result of legacy refusals from October 2007 onwards, increasing to 1,670 per month from February or March 2008.

I am unable to ascertain how many active cases have been or are being considered by the Home Office under the legacy programme, so it may be the case that 95% are being granted, and 670 or 1,670 per month does actually reflect a 5% refusal figure. It is difficult to believe that the Home Office is quite that efficient!