The number of asylum seekers who wait longer than the six-month decision target has increased by more than a quarter in the past year, despite asylum applications having fallen by 21 per cent in the same period, figures show. The latest immigration statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show nearly half (49 per cent) of people waiting for a decision on their asylum claim are waiting longer than six months — up from 39 per cent in the same quarter last year.