Migration numbers fall across visas, asylum claims and small boat arrivals, Home Office data shows
Home Office data shows falls in visas, asylum claims and small boat arrivals, with summer crossings at lowest since 2019, but critics question deportation rates.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New Home Office figures show a broad fall in migration numbers, with asylum claims, small boat arrivals, and visas all down in the year to June 2026. The number of asylum seekers in hotels has halved, and summer small boat crossings are at their lowest since 2019. But the data also reveals that very few small boat migrants are ever returned, and critics say the government is moving the problem rather than solving it.
The figures, released on Thursday, show asylum applications fell by 21% to 86,000, still above pre-pandemic levels. Small boat arrivals dropped by 23% to 33,000. The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels fell by 50% to 16,000, the lowest since 2022. The asylum backlog, cases waiting for an initial decision, is down 56% to 40,000.
Work visas fell by 18% to 235,000, following restrictions introduced under the previous Conservative government. Overall removals rose by 8% to 40,605, including the highest number of failed asylum seekers removed in 16 years.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the government is 'restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system', but added that she is not complacent. The Conservatives argue that the drop in hotel use simply means asylum seekers are being moved into private housing and flats across the country.
Migration experts say the decline is likely due to a combination of Labour and Conservative policies, as well as a broader fall in irregular migration to the EU. One expert noted a 37% reduction in irregular migration to the EU in the first six months of the year.
Summer figures show 102 small boats crossed the Channel between June and August, bringing 7,371 people, the lowest since 2019. However, boats are getting larger, with one intercepted vessel carrying around 230 people.
Critics, including GB News, point out that only 4.3% of small boat migrants have been returned since 2018. For the top five nationalities, Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran, there were just 23 removals in the year to June 2026. The government says it is working on returns agreements, but opponents argue the low numbers act as a pull factor.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| Small boat arrivals were 23% lower than in the same period last year. | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | ||||
| The use of hotels to house asylum seekers fell by 50% to about 16,000. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | |||
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| Asylum applications fell by 21% to around 86,000 in the year to June. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | |||
| All forms of legal migration, including work, study and family visas, fell. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV |
| The asylum backlog fell by 56% to 40,000 cases. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | ||
| The most common nationalities among small boat arrivals were Eritrean, Sudanese, Afghan, Somali, and Iranian. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | ||
| Work visas issued to those entering the UK legally fell by 18% to 235,000. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | ||
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| In one year, only 23 removals were recorded for the top five small boat nationalities. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Over 73,000 illegal immigrants are housed in HMOs and other non-hotel accommodation. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Removals of people with no right to remain in the UK rose by 8% to 40,605. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Removals rose by 8% to 40,605, with the highest number of failed asylum removals in 16 years. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV |
| Since 2018, only 4.3% of small boat migrants have been returned. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Summer small boat crossings were the lowest since 2019, with 102 boats and 7,371 migrants. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The government rounded the numbers up and down in its presentation of the data. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV |
| The number of failed asylum seekers removed from the UK was the highest in about 16 years. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Visas for work, study and family all fell by double-digit percentages. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
5 News focused on the headline numbers, particularly the drop in small boat arrivals and the halving of hotel use, while also noting the summer crossing figures. It gave a straightforward summary without deep political analysis, but did include expert commentary on the reasons for the fall.
- “Latest immigration data shows that the number of people arriving on small boats is down by 23% on last year.”
- “Now new figures show the number of refugees in hotels has actually halved over the last year.”
- “Between June and August this year, 102 small boats crossed the English Channel.”
BBC One West gave a detailed analysis with its home affairs correspondent, focusing on the government's cautious optimism. It highlighted the halving of hotel numbers, the rise in removals, and the overall drop in legal migration, while noting Conservative criticism that the problem is being moved to private housing.
- “We're seeing some trends here which the government will take with immense satisfaction.”
- “The number of people in hotels, asylum seekers waiting for a decision. Now it was 35,628 around September 2024... It's now down to 16,021 as of June, so that's more than halved.”
- “Overall, all forms of legal migration are down.”
ITV1 provided a balanced overview, noting the falls across asylum claims, small boats, and visas, while quoting experts who attributed the decline to both Labour and Conservative policies. It also highlighted the Home Secretary's cautious tone and the ongoing political pressure from opposition parties.
- “The number of people claiming asylum in the UK fell by 21% in the year to June new data shows.”
- “Experts say the figures that we're seeing are really a consequence of policy measures by both this current Labour government as well as previous Conservative administrations.”
- “The latest immigration stats were welcomed by the government today. They show falls in most of the numbers.”
Channel 4 News framed the figures within the broader political debate, including Andy Burnham's recent immigration proposals and the Conservative/Reform claims about housing. It highlighted the drop in hotel use and the backlog, while noting the reduction in humanitarian visas and the government's juggling of competing priorities.
- “The number of asylum seekers living in hotels has halved in a year.”
- “New figures also show a 23% fall in small boat arrivals in the year to June from the previous year, a 21% drop in asylum claims, and a fall in visas issued.”
- “By reappointing Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, someone Labour's left see as hardline on immigration, Andy Burnham hinted that no major policy change was on the horizon.”
GB News took a critical stance, focusing on the low deportation rates for small boat migrants and the rise in HMO accommodation. It accused the government of spinning the figures and argued that the drop in crossings is not due to effective policy but rather to broader EU trends and the UK becoming less attractive. It also highlighted the summer figures as a boast but questioned the value for money of French cooperation.
- “Only 4.3% of small boat immigrants have been returned throughout the entire migrant crisis since 2018.”
- “Eritrea has totaled just two returns, two in the year to June 2026. Sudan meanwhile, a big fat zero.”
- “There are now more than 73,000 illegal immigrants in HMOs on the streets near you.”
BBC News (Newscast) provided a deep dive into the data, explaining the significance of the backlog and the processing of asylum claims. It noted that the drop in legal migration is partly due to Conservative-era restrictions, and that the government is reaping the benefits of earlier decisions. It also highlighted the political battleground around hotels and the asylum system.
- “visas in terms of the number of people who got a work visa study visa or coming to join their family they were all down by double-digit percentages”
- “asylum claims they've fallen by about a fifth to 86,000 in one year”
- “small boats the stuff that we see on the news all the time they were down 23% on last year so 33,000 people entered the UK by crossing the channel in a small boat”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.