UK backlog hits record high

The UK's backlog of asylum claims has hit a record high, official figures showed yesterday, heaping fresh pressure on the government which has pledged to cut immigration. Interior ministry statistics showed that 175,457 people were waiting for an initial decision at the end of June, up 44 percent from the 122,213 outstanding claims at the same time last year. There was another record high in people waiting more than six months for an initial decision on their application, to 139,961 in June this year -- a 57 percent jump from 89,231 in June 2022.