Pakistanis top list of asylum seekers in UK, with Afghans in second place

Pakistanis have emerged as the largest group of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom, according to the latest data released by the UK Home Office.

In the year ending March 2025, 11,048 Pakistanis applied for asylum out of a total of 109,343 applications, marking the highest number recorded in any 12-month period since records began in 2001.

This is a significant increase from 93,150 applications filed in the year ending March 2024.

According to the UK Home Office, Pakistanis were the third most common asylum seekers in 2023-24.

Afghans ranked as the second most common group, with 8,069 applications filed over the same period.

While the number of applications peaked at 108,138 in December 2024, the UK has seen a notable drop in its asylum case backlog.

As of the end of March 2025, 109,536 people were awaiting an initial decision, down 12% from 124,802 at the end of December 2024. This marks the lowest backlog since December 2021.

The number of applicants waiting more than six months for an initial decision also declined to 67,373 in March 2025, compared to 73,866 three months earlier.

This figure remains considerably below the peak of 139,961 recorded in June 2023.

As per the data, 33% of asylum seekers arrived in the UK via small boat crossings in the year ending March 2025.

Despite the overall surge in asylum claims, the number of enforced returns of individuals without legal stay rights dropped slightly.

There were 2,312 enforced returns between January and March 2025, down from 2,365 in the previous quarter. Nonetheless, both figures are the highest seen in any quarter since 2018.