The United Kingdom received 108,138 asylum applications in 2024, marking the highest number of requests in any 12-month period since records began in 2001, according to newly released government data.
The latest figures represent an 18% increase from the 91,811 applications submitted in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 103,081 set in 2002.
The surge in asylum claims comes amid mounting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to address migration issues. Starmer has pledged to tighten immigration laws, particularly targeting undocumented migrants who arrive via the English Channel. His administration faces scrutiny following the strong performance of the far-right Reform UK party in the last general election, where it secured approximately four million votes.
Among the asylum seekers, Pakistani nationals accounted for the largest share, making up 9.7% of total applications. The UK also recorded a sharp rise in applications from Vietnamese nationals, doubling from 2,469 in 2023 to 5,259 in 2024.
Upon assuming office in July, Starmer scrapped former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan, instead prioritizing efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks and curb illegal migration.
UK Border Security and Asylum Minister Angela Eagle emphasized the government’s commitment to expediting asylum processing and enforcing the return of unsuccessful applicants. By the end of 2024, 124,802 individuals were still awaiting an initial decision on their asylum requests.
The UK is also working to reduce legal migration, which remained historically high. Net migration for 2023–2024 stood at 728,000, a decline from the record 906,000 the previous year.
Small boat arrivals across the English Channel constituted 32% of asylum claims in 2024, with 36,816 individuals making the journey from France to England—slightly higher than the previous year’s figures.
Eagle noted that the government is reversing relaxed visa policies introduced by the prior administration while continuing efforts to bring overall migration levels down.
