Record asylum applications drive dramatic shift in migration composition as other categories decline

Asylum seekers—including small boat migrants—now constitute 44 percent of net migration to Britain, according to new figures that reveal a significant shift in the country’s immigration landscape.

Net migration plummeted to 204,000 in the year to June, down from 649,000 the previous year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported. However, while other migration categories have declined sharply, asylum seeker numbers have surged to record levels.

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Asylum Share Doubles Since Brexit

Long-term immigration of asylum seekers reached 96,000 in the year ending June 2025, representing 11 percent of all immigration—double the 5 percent share recorded in 2019, according to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative voices on immigration issues.

Because relatively few asylum migrants emigrate, net migration of asylum seekers stood at 90,000, equivalent to 44 percent of total net migration—also roughly double the pre-Brexit figure of 22 percent in 2019.

Economic Impact Questioned

Dr Ben Brindle, researcher at the Migration Observatory, raised concerns about the economic implications of this compositional shift in migration patterns.

He noted that the composition of migration appears to have become less favorable economically, with fewer skilled worker visas and a higher proportion of refugees who often require substantial support.

“The economic impacts of changes in migration depend on who is migrating, not just how many,” Dr Brindle emphasized.

Numbers Likely Higher in Recent Months

The situation may be more pronounced than current figures suggest. While the Migration Observatory’s analysis was based on ONS data through June, separate Home Office figures released today show asylum claims continued climbing.

In the year to September, there were 110,051 asylum claims lodged in Britain—a record high, and significantly above the 96,000 figure used to calculate the 44 percent share.

With net migration having fallen by two-thirds over the past year, and likely continuing to decline in recent months, the proportion represented by asylum seekers may be even higher than 44 percent.

The full picture is expected to emerge when the ONS publishes its next net migration figures in six months’ time.