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The UK saw a record 111,000 asylum applications in the year leading up to June, marking a 14% increase from the previous year and surpassing the peak of 103,000 in 2002. Despite this rise, the UK government is processing cases at a faster rate, potentially resulting in fewer individuals needing housing support in the long run. These developments come amid mounting pressure on the government over immigration policies.
According to the latest Home Office data covering the first year of Labour’s administration, there are currently 71,000 cases awaiting an initial decision, involving 91,000 people. This backlog represents a significant decrease from the peak of 134,000 cases in June 2023. The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has slightly increased to 32,059, a figure below the peak of 56,000 in September 2023 under the previous Conservative government.
In the year ending June 2025, the Home Office carried out the forced removal of 9,100 individuals, representing a 25% increase from the previous year. More than half of those removed were foreign national offenders facing deportation upon completion of their sentences. A recent High Court ruling ordered a hotel in Epping, Essex, to stop housing asylum seekers after a legal challenge by the local council, prompting other councils, including some under Labour control, to consider similar legal actions.
Individual accounts shed light on the challenges faced by asylum seekers within the system. One such individual, Daastan, a 26-year-old from Afghanistan, expressed frustration at being trapped in the system after fleeing persecution back home. Another asylum seeker, known by the pseudonym Godgive, described feeling “left behind” and desperate for a meaningful role while awaiting the outcome of her asylum claim. The government’s expenditure on asylum-related expenses decreased by 12% in the year ending March 2025, although spending on hotel accommodation specifically was not disclosed in the latest data release
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