how many asylum seekers in uk
There were around 110,000–111,000 people claiming asylum in the UK over the most recent 12‑month period with published figures , and tens of thousands more are still waiting for decisions from previous years. This is the flow of people applying in a year, not the total number of all asylum seekers living in the UK at any one moment.
Latest official numbers
- In the year ending March 2025 , a total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK, a record high at the time.
- In the year ending June 2025 , this rose slightly to 111,084 people , the highest annual figure on record.
- These totals include main applicants plus their dependants (for example partners or children included on the same claim).
So if you are asking “how many asylum seekers in the UK right now?”, the best public indicator is that around 110k people applied in the most recent year , and a large backlog from previous years means the total number in the system at any point is significantly higher.
Backlog and people waiting
- The UK has had a large asylum backlog , with many people waiting months or years for an initial decision.
- Government data for 2025 shows tens of thousands of people are still awaiting an initial decision, plus many more in the appeals system.
- That means the number of people currently in the asylum system is well above the roughly 110k new applicants in a single year , because people from several years’ worth of claims are still in limbo.
How the UK compares to Europe
- The UK receives about one‑tenth of all asylum seekers across the EU+UK area.
- In absolute numbers, the UK is around 5th in Europe for asylum seekers received, but only around 17th per head of population.
- So the UK has high numbers in total , but not the highest once population size is taken into account.
Where people are staying (e.g. hotels)
- Part of the public debate focuses on accommodation , especially hotels used while claims are processed.
- Recent figures show just over 32,000 asylum seekers living in hotels , which is only a fraction of all people in the asylum system.
- Others are housed in different types of government‑contracted accommodation or with family/community networks while they wait.
Key takeaways in simple terms
- New asylum seekers per year: about 110k–111k people in the latest 12‑month data.
- Total in the system: higher than that, because many from previous years are still waiting for decisions or appeals.
- In hotels: around 32k people , not all asylum seekers.
- European context: high in total numbers, mid‑ranking when adjusted for population.
Information gathered from public data and news sources and portrayed here.