LONDON: Pakistani was the top nationality of asylum seekers by 2024-25 in the UK, according to figures published by the Home Office.
Pakistanis accounted for 11,048 people or 10.1% of total asylum seekers in the last year, the home office said.
A total of 109,343 persons applied for asylum in the year to March 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current items began in 2001.
By 2023-24, Pakistani was the third most common nationality (7.5% of the total amount) and in that year 7,003 applied for asylum.
The previous record was 108,138 in the 12 months to December 2024.
Migrants who arrived in Britain after crossing the English Channel in small boats accounted for 33% of the total number of people claiming asylum in the year for March.
“Afghan” was the second most common nationality among people who claimed asylum in the year for March (8,069 people, 7.4% of the total number), down from 9,738 (10.5%) in 2023-24, as it was the most common nationality.
Together with Pakistan, the largest increase in asylum requirements in 2024-25 came from Syrian citizens, which stood at 6,175 (5.6% of the total amount), up from 4,232 (4.5%) in 2023-24.
The figures also show that there were 109,536 people waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of March 2025.
This is down 12% from 124,802 at the end of December 2024 and is the lowest number since December 2021.
The total peaked 175,457 at the end of June 2023, which was the highest figure since the current items began in 2010.
The number of people waiting for more than six months for an initial decision accounted for 67,373 at the end of March, down from 73,866 at the end of December and well below the recent peak of 139,961 in June 2023.
Separate figures published by the Home Office Thursday show the number of quarterly enforced returns of people who are not entitled to live in the UK, fell slightly from 2,365 in October-December 2024 to 2,312 in January-March 2025.
Both of these numbers are higher than anything else since 2018.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We have significantly increased immigration enforcement, taking strong action to return more foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers who have no right to be in the UK.
“Working with immigration enforcement team to significantly increase illegal work attacks, returns and deportations is an important part of strengthening our border security. As part of the immigration white paper reforms, we will strengthen the rules so that more foreign national offenders can be returned.”
