The UK received over 108,000 asylum applications last year, marking the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2001.
Government figures released on Thursday show that 108,138 people sought asylum in 2024, an 18% increase from 91,811 the previous year. The previous record was 103,081 applications in 2002.
This surge comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to tighten immigration policies. His government recently pledged to make it nearly impossible for undocumented migrants arriving by small boats across the English Channel to obtain British citizenship. The rise of Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, which secured around four million votes in the last election, has further intensified the debate on migration.
Pakistanis made up the largest group of asylum seekers, with 10,542 applications, representing 9.7% of the total. Vietnamese nationals also saw a sharp rise in applications, more than doubling to 5,259 from 2,469 the year before.
Since taking office in July, Starmer scrapped former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan, instead focusing on dismantling human smuggling networks. Border Security and Asylum Minister Angela Eagle stated that the government is working to speed up asylum decisions and deport unsuccessful applicants more efficiently.
By the end of 2024, over 124,800 people were still awaiting an initial decision on their asylum applications. Meanwhile, net migration remained high at 728,000, though it had fallen from the record 906,000 recorded a year earlier.
Undocumented migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats accounted for 32% of all asylum claims. In total, 36,816 people made the dangerous journey in 2024, slightly more than the previous year. The government has since reversed policies that loosened visa rules, aiming to curb migration further.
With immigration remaining a key political issue, the government’s next steps will be closely watched as it seeks to balance security concerns with international obligations.