The U.K. Home Office has released data indicating that the country has received its highest annual number of asylum applications in two decades. The data reveals that 78,768 asylum applications were lodged in the U.K. till the end of June 2023. This marks a 19 percent increase compared to the previous year.
The figure of 78,768 applications surpasses the number seen during the European migration crisis in 2016, which saw 36,546 applications in the U.K. The Home Office emphasizes that this is the highest number of applications recorded in two decades.
The last time the U.K. witnessed such a high number of asylum claims was in 2002. At that time, 84,130 applications were submitted in a single year.
This rise in asylum applications coincides with heightened political attention on the U.K.’s asylum system. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to “stop the boats” crossing the English Channel and the Home Office is contending with a growing backlog of pending asylum applications.
Furthermore, Sunak has committed to reducing the number of asylum seekers residing in hotels while awaiting decisions on their claims. Currently, this policy costs the government £2.3 billion annually. Unfortunately, the latest data shows that this cost is still increasing. In March 2023, 47,518 individuals were housed in hotels, and by June, this number had risen to 50,546.
Among the overall asylum claims, the Home Office’s figures also reveal an 89 percent year-on-year increase in the number of people seeking refuge in the U.K. due to persecution based on their sexuality or gender identity.
