UK asylum claims hit record high as councils push back against hotel use

LONDON

The UK saw a record number of asylum applications over the past year.

More than 111,000 people sought asylum in the UK in the year ending June – surpassing the previous peak of 103,000 in 2002, according to Home Office figures.

At the same time, 49,000 people were recorded as arriving through “irregular” routes, up 27% on the year before

Most – 88% – crossed the English Channel in small boats, a rise of 38%. Afghan nationals were the largest group among them, accounting for 15% of arrivals (6,400 people).

Despite government pledges to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation, 32,059 asylum seekers were living in hotels across the country at the end of June.

That figure is 8% higher than a year earlier, though slightly lower than the previous quarter and well below the peak of 56,042 in September 2023.

The use of hotels has become a politically contentious issue.

This week, the High Court ruled that a hotel in the town of Epping, northeast of London, should stop housing asylum seekers, after a challenge by the local council.

Several other councils are now considering similar legal action, raising questions about the government’s ability to sustain its accommodation policy.

The UK has been one of the main European destinations for people attempting the perilous Channel crossing from France, a route that has become a flashpoint in domestic political debates about migration.