Almost all small boat arrivals who claimed asylum in the UK over the last year are still waiting for a decision from the Home Office, figures show.

In the year ending June 2024, the Home Office said 99% of all the people arriving in small boats had an asylum claim recorded either as a main applicant or as a dependant.

However, the figures show that 96% of asylum applications made by people arriving in small boats in that period are undecided.

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In addition, 31% of small boat arrivals since 2018 – or 33,224 people – are still waiting for an asylum decision.

Immigration minister Seema Malhotra said the figures show the “chaos the Tories left in our immigration and asylum system”.

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In a statement, Ms Malhotra said: “Despite the hundreds of millions pumped into the Rwanda partnership, small boat crossings for the first half of this year went up by almost 20%.

“The asylum backlog has soared, costing the taxpayer billions. And the removal of foreign national offenders has dropped 20% since 2010.

“After 14 years, their record is one of failure and damaged public confidence.”

Home Office data from January to June this year showed the number of small boat arrivals was 18% higher than the same period in 2023, before starting to lower.

Ms Malhotra said the Labour government “will be different” and touted the government’s Border Security Command as well as its new returns programme.

“We can’t solve these problems overnight,” she added, “but we have already started work to deliver an immigration and asylum system that is controlled, managed, and works for Britain.”

It comes as the former head of the UK’s Border Force Tony Smith said Labour’s plan to increase detention capacity is unlikely to stop small boat crossings and the “only real solution” is a deal with the EU.

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Home Office says crossings dropped

The Home Office also released data showing that in the 12 months to June 2024, 31,493 people arrived by small boats, 29% fewer than the 44,460 who made crossings by June 2023.

They found the number of “irregular arrivals” also fell in the same period: 38,784 people were detected by June this year – a 26% drop from 2023.

Sky News calculates small boat crossings differently, using the cumulative total of people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats by year.

Based on Sky News analysis of Home Office and PA figures from the start of the year to 21 August, the number of small boat crossings has actually risen.

The UK has seen 19,294 crossings as of Wednesday, whereas 18,618 crossings were recorded by 21 August 2023, making for an increase of 676.

Nonetheless, shadow home secretary and former minister James Cleverly credited a drop in crossings to the previous Conservative government.

He said on social media: “When I said I was going to cut migration, I meant it. Visas down, small boat arrivals down, cut the backlog & cut the asylum grant rate.

“It’s not about words, it’s about delivery.”

Read more:
Immigration detention centres to re-open in removals push
Plan unlikely to stop small boats, former border chief says

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Drop in health and care visas

Legal migration also fell in the year ending in June 2024: The Home Office reported there were 286,382 visas granted to main applicants in all work categories, 11% less than in the year before.

The biggest drop was seen in Health and Care Worker visas, where 89,095 were granted for a 26% drop compared to the year up to June 2024.

Fewer sponsored study visas were also granted – at 432,225, making for 13% less than the year ending June 2023 – while 3% more temporary worker visas were approved.

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Mr Cleverly claimed in an interview that under the previous government, the UK had seen several people arriving on Health and Care Worker visas that “didn’t stay in the sector”.

“It was being used as a backdoor to our immigration system: that is wrong,” he said.

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