THE NUMBER of people claiming asylum in the UK in 2025 fell slightly from the previous year, government data showed on Thursday, even as small boat arrivals increased.
Home Office figures showed 100,625 people applied for asylum in Britain last year, down four per cent from 2024, but still more than double pre-pandemic levels.
Of those, 52 per cent entered the UK through illegal routes, mainly on small boats crossing from France to south-east England.
The cross-Channel crossings have become a political issue and have contributed to the rise of Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, which has led in opinion polls over the past year.
On Wednesday, migrants were photographed being brought ashore by Border Force, as prime minister Keir Starmer’s government continues efforts to stop the crossings.
Home Office figures confirmed that 605 migrants were intercepted the previous day, the highest number recorded in a 24-hour period so far this year.
French authorities said they rescued 119 people attempting the crossing.
Annual statistics showed 41,472 people arrived on small boats last year, compared to 36,816 in 2024, a 13 per cent increase, despite Starmer taking office in July that year and pledging to "smash the gangs" facilitating the journeys.
However, arrivals remain below the 2022 record of 45,774.
'Bearing down'
The number of asylum seekers housed temporarily in UK hotels fell to 30,657, the lowest level in 18 months.
The use of so-called "asylum hotels" has led to protests, and the government has pledged to end their use by the end of this parliament in 2029.
Some alternatives, including former army barracks, have also faced opposition in local areas.
Eritreans made up nearly 20 per cent of those arriving via small boats in 2025. Afghans accounted for 12 per cent, while Iranians and Sudanese each accounted for 11 per cent.
The data showed the backlog of people awaiting an initial decision on their asylum applications at the end of 2025 fell to its lowest level in more than five years.
A total of 64,426 people were waiting for an initial decision, down nearly half from a year earlier and below the peak of 175,457 at the end of June 2023.
The interior ministry said the government is "bearing down" on the asylum backlog but "must go further".
"The number of people crossing the Channel is too high, and too many hotels remain in use," the spokesperson added.
"That is why the home secretary is introducing sweeping reforms to tackle the pull factors drawing illegal migrants to Britain," the spokesperson said, referring to home secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The ministry also said the government is "ramping up removals of those with no right to be here".
(With inputs from agencies)
