Britain has topped the list of asylum claims in Europe, as record numbers of migrants made attempts to settle in the UK last year.
New data reveals that asylum applications reached an unprecedented 108,000 in 2024, eclipsing those seen across the continent.
The figure represents a 28 per cent surge from the previous year's 84,000 applications.
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), this constitutes the highest number of asylum claims ever recorded in the UK.
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The previous peak occurred in 2002 when 103,000 applications were submitted.
These startling revelations are in stark contrast to the UK’s European neighbours, where asylum applications have stunningly decreased even as a migrant crisis continues to grip the continent.
France and Germany, traditionally major destinations for asylum seekers, both recorded falling numbers in 2024.
Germany, even as the world’s second-largest recipient of asylum claims behind the United States, saw applications drop by nearly 100,000 to approximately 230,000.
A record number of migrants claimed asylum in the UK in 2024
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Spain and Italy, despite their Mediterranean locations placing them on primary migration routes, experienced smaller increases than Britain.
These nations received 164,000 and 151,000 applications, respectively, surpassing the UK's total but with considerably more modest growth rates.
OECD data indicates that approximately 44,000 unauthorised entry attempts occurred in 2024, predominantly through Channel crossings, compared to 37,000 the previous year.
Pakistani nationals comprised the largest group of asylum seekers, with over 10,000 applications submitted in 2024.
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The stark increase in asylum claims in the UK far outpaced those across Europe
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Afghan and Iranian citizens each accounted for more than 8,000 claims.
The striking new numbers pile further pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government and its ability to manage Britain’s migrant crisis.
It comes as Border Force personnel, responsible for policing the English Channel, announced plans to strike earlier this week.
The move may open the door to more crossings, adding to the more than 35,000 migrants who have made the journey in 2025 - itself a 25 per cent rise over the same period last year.
The Labour Government is under increasing pressure to manage Britain's migrant crisis
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Recent polling has also revealed that 42 per cent of Britons believe there should be legal challenges to deport those living in the country without permission.
The soaring asylum figures were matched by Britain’s high permanent migration figures, which remain well above pre-pandemic levels.
Britain received 436,000 permanent migrants in 2024, with a quarter arriving as workers and 60 per cent as family members.
While these figures were down on the 743,000 permanent migrants in 2023, it represents a much higher tally than the 356,000 that arrived in 2019.
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