UK Asylum Applications Soar to Record 111,000, Fueling Political Conflict

New figures from the Home Office reveal a significant surge in UK asylum applications, reaching an unprecedented 111,000 in the past year, marking a 14% increase. This data has reignited intense political debate over the government’s handling of immigration and asylum.

The latest statistics highlight several key trends: The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has risen by 8% to 32,059, while “irregular” arrivals have jumped 27% to 49,000. Forced removals have also seen a 25% increase, now standing at 9,072. Conversely, there has been a notable reduction of almost 24% in the backlog of people awaiting an initial asylum decision, bringing the number down to 90,812.

Reacting to the figures, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “We inherited a broken immigration and asylum system that the previous government left in chaos.” She affirmed that the Labour government has since strengthened controls, reduced costs, and significantly increased enforcement and returns.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch countered, accusing Labour of misleading the public on asylum hotel reductions, claiming any significant cuts occurred prior to the last general election. “If Labour had continued on that trajectory, there would be no asylum hotels today,” Badenoch asserted.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Lisa Smart expressed ongoing concern about the asylum backlog, despite the government’s reported reductions, calling it “far too large for far too long.” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage critically noted the “record numbers claiming asylum” under the current administration.

Enver Solomon, chief of the Refugee Council, reiterated calls to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers, stating, “Everyone agrees that hotels are the wrong answer.”

Beyond the statistics and political exchanges, these figures represent numerous human stories, such as Daastan’s experience living in a Yorkshire hotel, or Godgive’s struggle in a house share after being separated from her young son in Cameroon.

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