UK asylum applications fall by more than fifth, government data shows

The number of asylum applications in the UK fell by more than a fifth over the past year, according to government figures, as ministers seek to reduce pressure on the asylum system and cut related spending.

Home Office statistics showed a total of 85,891 people applied for asylum in the 12 months to the end of June, down 21% from the previous year and the lowest figure since the year to June 2022, Caliber.Az reports, citing Euronews.

People who crossed the English Channel in small boats accounted for 40% of all asylum applications during the latest 12-month period. The route has become a major political issue and has contributed to the rise of the UK far right.

Small boat arrivals also declined by 23% over the same period. The ruling Labour Party said the fall demonstrated the effectiveness of its efforts to disrupt crossings "upstream" in Europe.

The number of asylum seekers awaiting an initial decision or a tribunal appeal also declined significantly.

Those waiting for a first decision fell by 56% year-on-year to 40,168, the lowest level since March 2019.

The number of asylum seekers accommodated in temporary hotel facilities, another politically sensitive issue that has triggered protests, also dropped by half to 16,021.

Labour, which has been in government since July 2024, has pledged to end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029.

The reduction in asylum applications and accommodation needs also contributed to lower government spending. Expenditure on asylum, including cash support, accommodation, staffing and some border enforcement activities, fell 8% in 2025/26 to £4.36 billion (€5 billion), marking the second consecutive annual decline.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who was retained by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he took office last month, stated that the figures showed the government was "restoring control" over the country's borders and asylum system.

"A little over two years into office and the asylum backlog is down, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is falling," she added, while stressing that ministers were "not complacent."

However, the figures came as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) gave the government its lowest assessment for policies concerning migrants and asylum seekers.

The UK's independent equality regulator and national human rights institution said ministers had taken "inconsistent action" and that existing policies were failing to protect migrants' rights in line with United Nations recommendations.

The EHRC also pointed to shortcomings in social security provisions and failures to adequately protect people from poverty and destitution.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov