(UNITED KINGDOM) — Thousands of foreign nationals who entered Britain on work visas went on to claim asylum, Home Office data showed, as ministers face renewed scrutiny over how legal migration routes intersect with the asylum system.
In the year ending June 2025, 12,200 people who had previously held a work visa claimed asylum in the UK, accounting for 30% of the 41,100 total asylum claims from those who entered on visas or other leave. That was about 1% of all work visas issued in that period.
Recent trends and quarterly spikes
Official figures also showed the pace rising further in more recent data. Asylum claims by work-visa holders reached 13,427 in the year to September 2025, up from 9,392 the previous year.
During the July–September 2025 quarter alone, 4,057 work-visa holders claimed asylum — exceeding 4,000 for the first time. The quarterly level rose sharply from 100–1,000 per quarter between 2018 and mid-2023.
Wider rise in asylum claims
The new data sits within a wider rise in asylum claims in the UK. Overall asylum claims hit a record 111,084 in the year ending June 2025, up 14% from the prior year.
More than a third of those claims came from people who had previously held visas. Prior visa holders accounted for 37% of the total — or 41,100 claims — in the year ending June 2025.
Breakdown by previous immigration status
- Study visa holders: 36% of prior-visa claims — 14,800
- Work visa holders: 30% — 12,200
- Visitor visas: 22% — 8,900
- Other leave (including ETAs): 13%
Table: Asylum claims by previous status (year ending June 2025)
| Previous status | Number of claims | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Study visas | 14,800 | 36% |
| Work visas | 12,200 | 30% |
| Visitor visas | 8,900 | 22% |
| Other leave (incl. ETAs) | — | 13% |
| Total (prior visa holders) | 41,100 | 37% of 111,084 |
Political and expert reactions
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, strongly criticised the figures:
“It’s a disgrace that this Government is letting in tens of thousands of people each year who then abuse the system by claiming asylum to stay in the UK permanently.”
Professor Brian Bell, Chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, said the figures pointed to choices policymakers face as they try to reduce net migration, noting a “real trade-off” related to recommendations to keep the skilled worker salary threshold at £41,700.
Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford highlighted the impact of tighter rules on legal routes. He pointed to falling visa grants — down 32% (or 403,000, excluding visits) — due to restrictions on workers, students and families maintained under Labour.
How this links to legal migration and net migration
The data reflects the post-Brexit expansion of work and study visas, even as overall legal migration fell sharply more recently. Work visas and dependants dropped 48% to 286,000 in the year ending June 2025.
Net migration also declined to 204,000, the lowest since 2021. The figures highlight how shifts in policy affecting work visa routes can feed into other parts of the immigration system, including asylum.
Policy implications and the debate ahead
The increase in asylum claims from work-visa holders adds a further layer to debate over how the UK manages entry routes designed for employment. Work visas are used by employers to bring in overseas staff, but the latest figures show a growing number of people moving from that status into the asylum system after arrival.
At the same time, the breakdown of claims by previous immigration status indicates the trend is not limited to one route — study visas, work visas, visitor visas and other leave all contribute.
The higher numbers in the year to September 2025 suggest the pattern has continued beyond the June 2025 peak in overall asylum claims. Work-visa holder asylum claims rose to 13,427 in that 12-month period, with the July–September quarter’s 4,057 marking a new high point in the quarterly series.
Important takeaway: shifts in visa policy and entry routes — including salary thresholds and restrictions on grants — have direct and measurable effects on asylum system pressures, creating difficult policy trade-offs between labour market needs and immigration control.
Repeated figures and emphasis
- The record 111,084 asylum claims in the year ending June 2025 included 41,100 from prior visa holders.
- Within that group: work visas 30%, study visas 36%, visitor visas 22%, other leave (incl. ETAs) 13%.
- The Migration Advisory Committee recommended keeping skilled worker salary thresholds at £41,700, a level tied to efforts to restrict who can qualify for a work visa.
Key statistics at a glance
- Total asylum claims (year ending June 2025): 111,084 (up 14%)
- Claims from prior visa holders: 41,100 (37%)
- Work-visa holder claims (year ending June 2025): 12,200 (30% of prior-visa claims)
- Work-visa holder claims (year to Sept 2025): 13,427
- Quarterly work-visa holder claims (Jul–Sep 2025): 4,057
- Work visas and dependants (year ending June 2025): 286,000 (down 48%)
- Net migration: 204,000 (lowest since 2021)
The UK is seeing a surge in asylum claims from individuals who initially entered the country on legal work and study visas. While total work visa grants have fallen by 48%, claims from this group reached record quarterly highs in late 2025. This creates a complex policy challenge for the government as it balances economic labor needs with stricter immigration controls.
