Thousands of migrants could be deported before they are able to lodge "unfounded" human rights claims under a major Government crackdown. Asylum seekers whose claims are rejected will be removed immediately using powers dating back to Sir Tony Blair’s Labour government. The early 2000s laws allow the Home Office to deport migrants before an appeal is heard, provided they do not face a "real risk of serious irreversible harm" if returned to their home country. Officials have identified 25 "safe" countries - including Ukraine, India, Nigeria, Brazil and Albania - where failed asylum seekers can only appeal after deportation. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Ministers are now preparing to ramp up removals in a bid to tackle a record backlog of more than 100,000 asylum appeals, many involving individuals still housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is facing the threat of a backbench rebellion over the plans, which will also force legal migrants and refugees to wait longer before gaining permanent residency. The 25 safe countries accounted for more than 14,000 failed asylum seekers or foreign criminals last year, including 4,000 from India, 2,750 from Nigeria and 1,750 from Albania. Border security and asylum minister Alex Norris told The Telegraph the "firm and fair" approach should not come at the expense of "hard-working taxpayers". He said taxpayers should not be footing the bill for asylum seekers who have already had human rights claims rejected, "many of whom are vile criminals". Mr Norris said: "That is why we are scaling up the use of these powers to deport more foreign national offenders to their home countries, where their appeals can be heard. "We will not hesitate to remove incentives which draw people to the UK illegally, and we will increase removals in order to restore order and control the border." Under the proposals, access to taxpayer-funded accommodation and support will be withdrawn once claims are certified as "unfounded" under Section 94B of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. MIGRANT CRISIS - READ THE LATEST: Labour-run council shoots down claim migrants originate from 'cultures that don't respect women' Migrant who claimed asylum on grounds he was 'secretly gay' revealed to have abandoned wife and son Ex-Border Force boss names Keir Starmer's 'biggest mistake' on migration since Labour rose to power A Home Office insider said the crackdown would be the biggest in years, aimed at ending the "carousel" of repeated appeals. However, there are concerns some migrants could abscond if granted bail rather than being held in detention before removal flights. The number of asylum seekers appealing rejected claims has nearly doubled in a year to 104,400 - allowing many to remain in taxpayer-funded accommodation. Removals without appeal rose by 50 per cent to 8,476 last year, but now account for just 10.6 per cent of the roughly 80,000 rejected claims. By comparison, around 22 per cent of rejected asylum seekers were deported without appeal under the Sir Tony's government in the early 2000s - nearly 20,000 people. Last week, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner criticised the reforms as "un-British" and said they "pulled the rug" from hard-working families. Representing the Mainstream Labour faction, founded in September 2025, she warned the "very survival of the Labour Party is at stake" , adding the party was "running out of time". Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said the Government’s own figures showed many appeals were ultimately successful. He said: "Forcing people to leave the UK before they have had the chance to appeal flawed decisions risks sending men, women and children back to situations where they may face real danger." "If the Government wants to restore confidence in the asylum system, the priority should be improving the quality of initial decision-making. "Getting decisions right first time would reduce the number of costly appeals, clear the backlog more quickly, and cut the need for expensive and unsuitable asylum accommodation." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter