LONDON, May 23 (Alliance News): Pakistani nationals made up the highest number of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom during the year ending March 2025, according to fresh figures released by the UK Home Office.
Out of 109,343 total asylum applications—the highest on record for any 12-month period since 2001—11,048 were from Pakistanis, accounting for 10.1% of all applicants. This marks a sharp rise from 7,003 applications in 2023–24, when Pakistan ranked third with 7.5% of the total.
The overall number of asylum seekers rose 17% compared to the previous year, when 93,150 people applied. The surge in asylum applications also surpassed the previous high of 108,138 set in the year to December 2024.
According to the Home Office, migrants who crossed the English Channel in small boats represented 33% of all asylum seekers in the reported year.
Afghan nationals ranked second in the list with 8,069 asylum applications (7.4% of the total), down from 9,738 in the previous year when they were the top nationality. Syrian nationals also saw a notable increase, rising to 6,175 applicants (5.6%), up from 4,232 (4.5%) in 2023–24.
Despite the record number of applications, the backlog of unresolved asylum claims dropped significantly. By the end of March 2025, 109,536 people were awaiting an initial decision, a 12% decrease from 124,802 in December 2024 and the lowest since December 2021. The backlog had peaked at 175,457 in June 2023.
The number of people waiting over six months for an initial decision also declined to 67,373—down from 73,866 in December and significantly lower than the June 2023 peak of 139,961.
Meanwhile, the number of enforced returns—those deported for lacking legal right to remain—slightly fell to 2,312 in the January–March 2025 quarter from 2,365 in the last quarter of 2024. However, both figures remain the highest for any quarter since 2018.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commented on the developments, stating, “We have substantially increased immigration enforcement, taking strong action to return more foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers who have no right to be in the UK.”
She also emphasized upcoming reforms under the Immigration White Paper that aim to enhance deportation rules for foreign offenders.
