Government data released today reveals that net migration dropped by two thirds in a year – but the number of people in asylum hotels has gone up since the summer
What you need to know about the migration figures and asylum hotels
- Net migration has plummeted in the past 12 months, falling to 204,000 in the year to June – down from 649,000. According to experts at the Office for National Statistics, 898,000 people came to the UK in that time – down 401,000 from the 12 months before, and 693,000 people left the country over the same period.
- Home Office data shows 111,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending September 2025. This is 13% more than the previous year, and higher than the previous recorded peak of 103,000 in 2002.
- The number of asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels has risen by 13% in three months. There were 36,273 people staying in such accommodation in September, while they await a decision on their asylum claims.
- In the year to September there were 9,400 people removed from the UK. This is an increase of 22% compared to the previous 12 months. Albanians were the most represented country. There were 5,300 returns of foreign national offenders – a 10% increase in a year.
- In the summer the Government announced a historic returns deal with France. The ‘one-in-one-out’ programme has so far seen 153 small boat arrivals detained and deported.
Article continues below
- The Home Office said 134,000 initial asylum decisions had been reached in the year to September – a 31% annual rise. Almost half of them were grants, with 45% approved. This was down from 52% the previous year.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.