August 21, 2025 — London, UK — Commenting on the Government’s immigration statistics for the year ending June 2025, Flora Alexander, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee UK, said,
Today’s immigration figures are a mixed picture. It is welcome that, for the first time in four years, the asylum backlog has fallen below 100,000 people. This is a step towards a fairer and more efficient system that gives people clarity about their future more quickly, and reduces the strain on the asylum system.
At the same time, the figures show that more than half of those arriving to the UK irregularly are fleeing countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, where violence and instability make life nearly impossible. They are forced to take dangerous journeys because safe alternatives simply don’t exist for them.
What’s needed is an orderly system that allows people to arrive safely and begin integrating from day one. We know that when people seeking asylum are given stability and support, they go on to enrich the communities that welcome them. So it is deeply concerning to see more people placed in hotels - accommodation long recognised as being unsuitable for people seeking safety, denying individuals and families the dignity and stability that they need as they rebuild their lives.
Expanding safe routes and ensuring people have proper housing and support is not only humane - it is also practical, helping communities and newcomers to thrive together.