Press Story

IPPR has responded to today’s migration and asylum statistics from the Home Office and ONS, which reveal that:

The overall number of people claiming asylum increased to around 111,000 in the year ending June 2025, an increase of 14 per cent compared with the year before and the highest level on record.
Less than half (39 per cent) of people applying arrived on small boats. A similar amount (37 per cent) had previously entered the UK on study, work or visitor visas or other forms of leave.
The number of people in the initial asylum decision backlog fell to around 91,000 at the end of June, compared to 110,000 in March. However, this did not translate into a reduction in hotel use, which is stable at 32,000.

Responding to the migration statistics, Marley Morris, IPPR associate director for migration, trade and communities, said:

“The asylum system is facing ongoing pressures following record levels of applications. There are signs of progress as the initial decision backlog continues to come down due to faster processing by the Home Office, but the continued reliance on asylum hotels shows how much more work there is to do.

"To end the use of asylum hotels for good, the Home Office will need to tackle the appeals backlog by improving the quality of initial decision making and speeding up the appeals process. And it will need to invest in expanding the stock of temporary accommodation, saving money compared with hotels.

"In the long run, it should move to a decentralised model of accommodation with greater local oversight, in order to help manage some of the tensions with local councils which have reached a height this week.”

ENDS

Marley Morris and Amreen Qureshi, research fellow, are available for interview

CONTACT

Rosie Okumbe, digital and media officer: 07825 185421 r.okumbe@ippr.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society. We are researchers, communicators, and policy experts creating tangible progressive change, and turning bold ideas into common sense realities. Working across the UK, IPPR, IPPR North, and IPPR Scotland are deeply connected to the people of our nations and regions, and the issues our communities face. We have helped shape national conversations and progressive policy change for more than 30 years. From making the early case for the minimum wage and tackling regional inequality, to proposing a windfall tax on energy companies, IPPR’s research and policy work has put forward practical solutions for the crises facing society. www.ippr.org