The UK issued significantly fewer visas to foreign workers in 2024 compared to the previous year, following the implementation of tougher immigration policies for health and social care workers. However, the number of asylum claims reached a record high, according to official data released on Thursday (February 27).

Amid growing public support for the right-wing Reform UK party, which advocates for stricter immigration controls, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to overhaul the points-based immigration system. His announcement comes after revised figures revealed that net migration had exceeded 900,000 in the year leading up to June 2023 – a record high.

Work visas decline, asylum claims surge

According to the Home Office, 210,098 work visas were granted in the 12 months ending in December 2024 – marking a 37 percent decline from the previous year. The number of visas issued for health and social care workers fell sharply by 81 percent to 27,174, continuing a downward trend that began in early 2024 after restrictions introduced by the previous conservative government.

While work visas declined, the number of asylum claims surged by 18 percent to 108,138 in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2002. The most common nationalities among asylum seekers were Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. There was also a surge in the number of applications by Vietnamese nationals, which more than doubled to 5,259 from 2,469 the previous year. Small boat crossings from France also increased by 25 percent to 37,000.

Despite the rise in asylum claims, the number of people granted refugee status or other leave at the initial decision stage dropped by 37 percent to 39,616.

The Labour government, which took office in July, has been working to reduce the backlog of asylum cases. Although the total number of pending cases fell by 5 percent compared to the end of 2023, around 125,000 people were still awaiting an initial decision on their applications. 

"Under the previous government, the last few months before the election, asylum decision making collapsed by more than 70 percent pushing the backlog right up," border security and asylum minister Angela Eagle announced in a statement.

UK to ensure 'legal migration continues to come down'

Regular migration to the UK remains at historically high levels, with net migration for 2023-24 recorded at 728,000 -- a decrease from the record high of 906,000 the previous year. The previous government's relaxation of visa requirements is now being reversed, said Eagle. 

"We are also ensuring that legal migration continues to come down after the previous government quadrupled net migration in the space of four years," she said.

The topic of immigration played an important role in Britain's 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. Critics argue that high levels of immigration put pressure on public services and contribute to housing shortages, while others emphasize the need for migrant workers to fill labor shortages, particularly in the healthcare sector.

With Reuters and AFP