In a significant shift, Pakistanis have become the largest nationality group among asylum seekers in the UK for the 2024-25 period, according to data released by the Home Office. A total of 11,048 Pakistani nationals, or 10.1% of the total, applied for asylum in the year to March 2025.
The overall number of asylum applications in the UK for the year reached 109,343, marking the highest annual total since record-keeping began in 2001. This represents a 17% increase from 93,150 claims in the previous year. The rise in asylum applications is part of an ongoing trend, with migrants arriving in the UK through various routes, including the English Channel in small boats, accounting for 33% of the total applicants.
For the year ending March 2024, Pakistanis were the third-largest group of applicants, comprising 7.5% of the total, with 7,003 applications. However, in 2024/25, they have surged to the top position. The previous record was set at 108,138 asylum applications in the year to December 2024.
Afghans, once the largest group of asylum seekers, now make up the second-largest nationality group, with 8,069 applicants, or 7.4% of the total. This is a decrease from 9,738 applicants in 2023-24, when they accounted for 10.5% of asylum claims.Â
Alongside Pakistan, the number of Syrian applicants also saw a notable increase, rising to 6,175 (5.6% of the total), compared to 4,232 in the previous year.
The backlog of asylum cases awaiting decisions stood at 109,536 at the end of March 2025, down 12% from the 124,802 cases in December 2024. This marks the lowest backlog since December 2021. The number of individuals waiting over six months for a decision also dropped significantly, from 73,866 in December 2024 to 67,373 in March 2025.
In addition to the growing asylum numbers, the Home Office reported a slight decrease in enforced returns of individuals without legal right to remain in the UK, from 2,365 in the October-December 2024 quarter to 2,312 in January-March 2025. However, these figures remain the highest since 2018.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the government’s commitment to tightening immigration enforcement, highlighting the increase in deportations of foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers. The Immigration White Paper reforms are expected to strengthen these measures, particularly in returning foreign national offenders.
