UK Asylum Applications Hit Record High: What's Happening?

The UK saw a record number of asylum applications last year, with 111, 000 people seeking refuge. This is a 14% jump from the previous year and the highest since 2002. The government is working to process these cases faster, which might reduce the number of people needing housing support in the long run. Right now, there are 71, 000 cases waiting for an initial decision, involving 91, 000 people. This backlog is almost half of what it was at its peak in June 2023. There are now 18, 536 fewer people waiting for a decision compared to March. The number of asylum seekers staying in hotels has slightly increased to 32, 059, which is higher than when the current government took over but still much lower than the peak of 56, 000 in September 2023. The government plans to clear the backlog by 2029 and wants to stop using hotels for housing asylum seekers in the future. However, this depends on how quickly they can remove people who don't have a valid case to stay in the UK. Asylum seekers who can't support themselves financially are provided with housing while their claims and appeals are being processed. In the year ending June 2025, the Home Office forcibly removed 9, 100 people, which is a 25% increase from the previous year. More than half of these removals were foreign national offenders being deported after serving their sentences. The High Court recently ruled that a hotel in Epping, Essex, should stop housing asylum seekers after a legal challenge by the local council. Other councils across the country, including some run by the current government's party, are now considering similar legal actions. Among those waiting for a decision is Daastan, a 26-year-old from Afghanistan who fled his country in 2023 after his father and brother were targeted by the Taliban. He has been living in a hotel in Yorkshire since arriving in the UK. His claim was denied after about a year, and he is now waiting for the outcome of his appeal. He described feeling trapped and isolated, with little to do and no privacy. Godgive, who also did not want to use her real name, has been separated from her six-year-old son since fleeing violence in Cameroon three years ago. She lives in a shared house with other asylum seekers provided by the Home Office in the north-east of England. She described feeling "left behind" and "stuck" in the asylum system, with little privacy and no ability to work or study. She considered ending her life at one point but is now hoping to find a way to contribute and give her life purpose. Government spending on asylum in the UK decreased by 12%, with a total of £4. 76bn in the year ending March 2025, down from £5. 38bn the previous year. This covers costs related to asylum, including direct cash support and accommodation, but not the costs of intercepting migrants crossing the Channel. Specific costs for hotels were not published in the latest data, but previous figures showed £2. 1bn was spent on hotel accommodation, down from £3bn the previous year. The data for the year to June 2025 also showed that small boat arrivals accounted for 88% of arrivals, with 43, 000 people arriving this way. This was 38% higher than the previous year but slightly lower than the peak in 2022 of 46, 000 people. More than half of those arriving came from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. Afghans were the most common nationality, accounting for 15% of small boat arrivals (6, 400). Since January 2018, three-quarters of small boat arrivals were men, while only 16% were children. 5, 011 children under the age of 18 crossed by small boat to apply for asylum in the year to June. The Home Secretary stated that the government has strengthened visa and immigration controls, cut asylum costs, and increased enforcement and returns. She blamed the "broken immigration and asylum system" and said the previous government left it in "chaos". The opposition parties criticized the government's handling of the situation, with one calling it a "failing" government that has lost control of the borders, and another stating that the asylum backlog has been "far too large for far too long".