Overview
- The UK logged more than 108,000 asylum applications in 2024, a 28% increase on 2023 and the biggest rise reported in Europe.
- OECD data counted about 44,000 illicit entry attempts last year, mostly small‑boat Channel crossings, with Home Office figures saying around 32% of all claims came via that route.
- Across the OECD, asylum claims exceeded three million in 2024, led by 1.7 million applications in the United States.
- The government says it is accelerating removals and removing incentives for illegal migration, with plans to make deportations easier.
- GB News reports more than 35,000 Channel arrivals so far in 2025 and planned Border Force strikes, developments that could strain operations.