Official statistics reveal a dramatic shift in the pattern of migration to the United Kingdom, with asylum seekers now constituting a record proportion of new long-term arrivals.
A Shifting Migration Landscape
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), net migration to Britain plummeted to 204,000 in the year to June. This figure, which measures the difference between long-term arrivals and those emigrating, has fallen sharply from 649,000 the previous year.
However, within this overall decline, the number of people seeking asylum has surged against the trend. While other migrant categories, such as foreign workers, have seen significant decreases, asylum-based immigration has reached a record high.
The Rising Share of Asylum Seekers
A spokesperson for Oxford University's Migration Observatory, a leading authority on immigration data, provided a stark analysis. They confirmed that asylum was the only major migration category where net migration did not decrease.
The data shows that long-term immigration of asylum seekers was 96,000 in the year ending June 2025, representing 11 per cent of all immigration. This is double the 5 per cent share recorded in 2019.
Because very few asylum seekers emigrate, the net migration figure for this group was 90,000. This means that asylum seekers accounted for 44 per cent of the total net migration of 204,000. This share has also roughly doubled from the pre-Brexit figure of 22 per cent in 2019.
Economic Concerns and Future Projections
Dr Ben Brindle, a researcher at the Migration Observatory, raised important questions about the economic impact of this changing composition. "It does seem that the composition of migration has become less favourable from an economic perspective," he stated.
Dr Brindle elaborated, noting there are "fewer people getting skilled worker visas and a higher share of refugees, who often need a lot of support." He emphasised that the economic impacts of migration depend on who is migrating, not just how many.
The situation is likely even more pronounced than these figures suggest. More recent Home Office data for the year to September shows a record 110,051 asylum claims were lodged, far exceeding the 96,000 used in the ONS analysis.
Given that net migration has been falling rapidly, the proportion made up by asylum seekers is expected to be even higher in the most recent period. A clearer picture will emerge when the ONS publishes its next set of net migration figures in six months' time.
