The UK is about to impose a few of Europe’s hardest asylum legal guidelines – however how does it actually evaluate to the continent? | EUROtoday

The UK authorities has unveiled plans for a radical overhaul of its asylum system, as immigration continues to dominate the political agenda.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposals are dealing with a fierce backlash, having been described by her personal Labour MPs as “performatively cruel”.

Under the brand new guidelines, refugee standing will turn out to be short-term – lasting simply 30 months as a substitute of the present 5 years – and will probably be revoked as soon as it’s deemed protected for the person to return house.

The UK may even revoke its authorized obligation to assist asylum seekers who would in any other case be destitute, and can seize property and revenue from asylum seekers to contribute to the price of their assist.

With Britain’s asylum coverage set to turn out to be one of many hardest in Europe, The Independent takes a take a look at how the present UK statistics actually evaluate to the remainder of Europe – and the insurance policies behind the numbers.

How does the UK evaluate to Europe on asylum seekers

Data reveals that the UK receives far fewer asylum seekers than comparable European international locations in proportion to inhabitants dimension.

Per 100,000 folks in 2024, the UK got here fifth for many candidates (156) after Spain (340), Germany (275), Italy (256) and France (191). The EU common final yr was 203 per 100,000 folks.

The UK is now looking for to emulate reforms carried out in Denmark by Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen after she was elected in 2019. Two years earlier, the 2 nations have been on a stage pegging, proportionally talking.

Denmark acquired 57 purposes per 100,000 folks on common, and the UK 55. Since the 2019 measures got here into power, the UK has seen its quantity triple to 156 per 100,000, whereas Denmark’s numbers fell in the identical interval.

However the 2 conditions usually are not fully comparable; the general variety of candidates is considerably decrease in Denmark, each earlier than and after the change in coverage.

Denmark had a mean of 4,215 within the three years main as much as its 2019 reforms, whereas the UK noticed considerably bigger figures of between 50,000 and 100,000 throughout the identical interval.

UK rejects extra asylum purposes than EU common

Data from final yr additionally reveals that the UK rejected extra asylum candidates than its European neighbours final yr.

The UK rejected 44,433 (52.9 per cent) of the 84,049 candidates who acquired a call in 2024, in comparison with the EU common of 48.6 per cent.

This was an enormous decline from 2023, nonetheless, when 69 per cent of the 91,811 asylum candidates within the UK have been granted safety.

Despite its strict new system, Denmark granted 48.1 per cent of candidates asylum in 2024. But Clingendael, a Dutch assume tank, says it is because Denmark receives “very few applicants from so-called safe countries”.

The insurance policies behind the numbers

Denmark

Denmark is thought for having one among Europe’s strictest asylum programs, after Ms Frederiksen promised a “zero asylum seekers” method earlier than her election in 2019.

While many EU international locations have seen asylum purposes rise for the reason that pandemic, Denmark’s have stayed comparatively related, owing to its robust method.

But the electoral advantages of Ms Frederiksen’s reforms have been this week known as into query, after dismal native outcomes noticed her social gathering lose assist to rivals on each the left and the populist proper.

Germany

Despite being Europe’s most welcoming nation for asylum seekers lately, immigration has turn out to be one of many vital political points in Germany.

It has been the cornerstone of the agenda of the Alternativ fur Deutschland, the far-right political social gathering, which earlier this yr turned the second-largest social gathering within the German parliament on a fiercely anti-immigration platform.

The German authorities, whereas refusing to work with the AfD, has sought to fend off the social gathering’s rise, comparable to by introducing stricter border controls in 2025, permitting federal police to show away asylum seekers who don’t have legitimate entry paperwork.

Spain

Spain has a comparatively welcoming asylum coverage compared to different international locations in Europe, and has seen the variety of purposes dramatically improve prior to now 5 years.

Much of this has been a results of a serious improve in arrivals on small boats, with 46,843 folks arriving on the Canary Islands by sea.

Left-leaning prime minister Pedro Sanchez has known as for a “more coherent and humanitarian approach” to migrants, and final yr framed welcoming asylum seekers as an ethical “duty”, though he has known as on the burden to be unfold round Europe.

Italy

Italy, which for many years has acquired hundreds of refugees by way of the Mediterranean Sea, noticed a pointy shift within the nation’s asylum coverage after the election of proper wing Giorgia Meloni in 2022.

Asylum coverage turned extra restrictive, prioritising border management, repatriation, and off-EU processing, with a much less beneficiant reception for brand new asylum seekers.

Measures aimed toward deterring asylum seekers from making the journey to Italy have did not stem the stream, and in 2024, asylum purposes had almost doubled since Ms Meloni assumed workplace.

France

A polarised political panorama in France has seen president Emmanuel Macron’s authorities take an more and more robust stance towards migration and asylum seekers.

The far-right Rassemblement National (RN), led by Marine Le Pen from 2012 till 2022 earlier than Jordan Bardella assumed the management, loved growing electoral success earlier than profitable 142 seats in 2024.

This piled the stress on the federal government, which expanded deportation powers and imposed harder circumstances for social advantages in response.