Recent Home Office figures show that while small boat arrivals rose by 13% in 2025, overall asylum claims in the UK actually fell by 4% to approximately 100,625. This decrease is attributed to a 20% drop in people using other illegal routes, such as lorries, alongside a significant 30% reduction in work-related visas. The government has also made progress in reducing the asylum backlog to its lowest level since 2020, with 42% of processed applications being granted protection. Furthermore, enforced returns of individuals without legal residency increased by 21%, while the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels fell as more people were moved into longer-term accommodation.
Date: February 26, 2026. Source: bbc.com