The number of people claiming asylum in the UK fell by 12% in the year to March 2026, according to new Home Office data, though levels remain more than double those recorded just before the pandemic.
According to a report by the BBC, a total of 93,525 asylum applications were lodged over the 12‑month period, down from the previous year.
The figures also show the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels dropped sharply to 20,885, compared with 30,657 in December 2025 and a peak of 56,000 in September 2023 under the former Conservative government.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that net migration has continued to fall, with 171,000 added to the UK population last year, the lowest level since 2012, excluding the Covid pandemic.
Just over 800,000 people immigrated to the UK in 2025, down 20% on the year before, while 642,000 emigrated long‑term.
Officials said the decline was driven by fewer arrivals from outside the EU, particularly for work.
Policy changes introduced in early 2024, restricting overseas students and care workers from bringing dependents, and raising salary thresholds for skilled visas, have been retained and expanded by Labour.
The government has since announced further measures, including requiring migrants to speak English to A‑level standard and raising the skilled worker visa income threshold to £41,700.
Despite claims of a “Starmer exodus,” the ONS noted that British emigration has remained broadly stable, with 257,000 nationals leaving in 2024 and 255,000 in 2023.
The Liberal Democrats blamed Brexit for the trend, urging closer cooperation with European allies. (Newswire/ BBC)