UK asylum claims hit highest level since 2002
ReutersIn 2002, the number of people claiming to be asylum in the UK exceeded its previous peak, according to data released by the internal office.
In the year ended December 2024, 108,138 people claimed asylum – an increase of 18%, nearly double that of 2023.
In recent years, the new high is the rise in the record boat arrival.
The number of small boat arrivals in 2024 has also increased, up 25% from 2023 – but that number is 20% lower than in 2022.
Britain is now gaining the fifth largest asylum seeker in the EU plus region as the government is under pressure to reduce the backlog of asylum decisions.
These figures cover the end of the Conservative government and the beginning of labor, indicating that the number of cases waiting for the initial decision has dropped by 5%, with 90,686 cases and 124,802 people, a decision as of the end of 2024.
That number is still higher than before 2022.
The UK also sent more people to immigration detention. This figure increased by 12% last year.
Meanwhile, 8,164 people were forced to return to another country, an increase of 28%, and Albanians are the most common nationality in forced returns.
The number of people granted citizenship has increased dramatically, with the figures rising from 130,568 in 2020 to 269,621 in 2024. This figure is the highest level since the government has recorded it this way.
New guidance for visas and immigrants earlier this month To clarify, anyone entering the UK will face a dangerous journey and will usually be denied citizenship.
These changes mean that anyone who is believed to have been illegally entered the country – including those already here – will not be able to apply for citizenship.
The measure has been criticized by the Refugee Commission and some Labor MPs.
The former Conservative government has taken measures to reduce legal immigration, changes to visa procedures over the past year, including Increase the minimum wage Used for skilled workers’ visas in the UK.
During his tenure, the Conservative Party also banned health and social care workers and most international students from bringing their families to the UK.
According to BBC verification analysis, data released on Thursday showed that the number of work visas coming to the UK fell by about 250,000 last year.
This is almost evenly distributed among those with fewer people working (down by over 125,000) and fewer family members working with them (down by nearly 120,000).
The decline in family members accompanying workers is much larger than the last set of numbers.
Both waterfalls are largely driven by trends in sanitation and caregiver routes.
The former government introduced special visas to bring people into the industry.
This has led to a significant increase in visa issuance – especially since people who work tend to bring more families than people with other work visas.
But Rishi Sunak’s government strengthened the rules in late 2023, causing people to drop across 2024 visas.
In September 2024, the current Labor government announced further measures, including stronger regulations around visa sponsorship for migrant workers.
A white paper will also be released this year, creating a plan to reduce legal immigration.
