Asylum claims in the UK reached a record high in 2024, with over 108,000 people claiming asylum, relating to 84,000 cases. The Home Office released the official immigration figures for the last year.
Gov.uk reported that 18% more people claimed asylum in the UK last year than in 2023 and 5% more than the previous recorded peak of 103,081 in 2002. According to the report, 47% of cases in 20224 were positive grants of protection, down from 67% in 2023.
There were historically-high 956,000 visas issued for a non-visit reason - people coming to the UK for other reasons, such as work, study, family and humanitarian reasons usually require an entry clearance visa.
In 2024 there were 132.3 million arrivals to the UK. The majority (55%) were British nationals.
Between 2004 and 2020, there were between 22,000 and 46,000 people claiming asylum in the UK each year. However, since the second half of 2021, there has been a noticeable increase.
Small boat arrivals made up 32% of asylum applications in 2024—a slight rise from 2023 but still lower than 2021, when they accounted for 43% of applications.
The remaining claimants will have entered either through other irregular routes (such as via lorries or shipping containers); through the common travel area without valid permission to enter; or through regular routes with either valid leave to enter (such as using a visa) or using fraudulent documents.
Seven nationalities accounted for 48% of applications in 2024: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Syria, India, and Vietnam. The biggest increases compared to 2023 were among people from Vietnam (+113%), Pakistan (+79%), Syria (+70%) and Bangladesh (+42%).
Universal’s new theme park in Bedford, UK has secured a government support package worth around £500 million ($686 million) for rail and road upgrades, as part of a wider package to boost infrastructure ahead of the park’s planned 2031 opening.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
The UK will buy 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new agreement aimed at increasing Ukraine’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) when they met in London on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met King Charles at Windsor Castle on Monday during a short visit to the UK aimed at strengthening defense ties and increasing pressure on Russia.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump may push back looming tariff deadlines, signalling flexibility in his approach to ongoing trade talks.
China has started granting export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to companies in the European Union, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, citing EU officials.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
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