24 March, London. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of Nepalese who claimed asylum in the UK was 475 last year.
By the end of December 2025, out of a total of 100,625 people who have claimed asylum in the UK, the number of Nepalis is 475.
According to the figures, three people entered the UK illegally by small boat and 472 people claimed asylum after arriving in the UK.
Among the applicants, 328 are male and 147 are female. There are 448 main applicants and 27 dependents. Similarly, 11 people under 18 years of age, 406 people from 18 to 29 years (85 percent), 52 people from 30 to 49 years (11 percent) and 6 people from 50 to 69 years (one percent) are mentioned in the data.
85 percent of applicants between the ages of 18 and 29 are students.
If we look at the data of the past 5 years, 104 people applied for ‘asylum’ in 2020, 182 in 2021, 1263 in 2022, 704 in 2023 and 718 in 2024.
The number of people claiming asylum in the UK has fallen in recent years but is still higher than before 2021. By December 2025, a total of 1625 people had claimed asylum in the UK, which was 4% less than in December 2024. But 2019 is more than 2 times compared to December.
If we look at the data of the past 5 years, 104 people applied for ‘asylum’ in 2020, 182 in 2021, 1263 in 2022, 704 in 2023 and 718 in 2024.
Last year, 12,578 of the total applicants were students, 13,557 were on work visas and 7,521 came to the UK on visit visas.
The top 10 countries that claimed asylum last year were citizens of Pakistan, Eritrea, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, India, Somalia, Nigeria and Vietnam.
According to the government, some immigrants claim asylum as soon as they arrive in the UK, while others claim asylum after staying in the UK for some time or when some visas expire because they are unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin.
If a person is oppressed, unsafe due to caste, religion, nationality, political ideology or the social, cultural, religious or political situation of his country, the government has criteria that the person is eligible to apply for asylum.
However, in the case of Nepalese, since there is no conflict in the country, political stability is oriented and security is guaranteed, the chance of the asylum case being successful is very low, says Solicitor Raju Thapa.
The government has changed the rule from March 2 last month that those who claim asylum will only get temporary residence (asylum) from permanent.
Under the new rules, all adult asylum claims will be reviewed every 30 months. Visas will be renewed for refugees who still face danger in their home country, but those whose country is now safe will be returned home.
The president of ‘Nepali for Labour’, a well-wishing organization of the British ruling Labor Party. Bachukailasha Kaini said that the number of applications may be decreasing due to the government’s new rule of not allowing refugees to stay permanently.
Kaini, who is also the ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ (BME) officer representing the minority community in Labour’s Datford Committee, mentioned that the comment that most Nepalis come to Britain to study or visit and apply to become refugees here is wrong.
EU also towards immigration control
The European Union (EU) has also set a policy to tighten immigration control. It is said that the EU is expanding the scope of monitoring, arresting and deporting migrants.
This group of 27 nations is promoting a policy of stopping migrants before they enter Europe, sending them to third countries, especially African countries, and quickly deporting them after entering. Analysts believe that after the emergence of right-wing parties in various countries in 2024, such a policy will be implemented more strictly.
The new policy named ‘Immigration and Asylum Agreement’ is scheduled to come into effect from June 12.
The British government has said that since July 2024, about 60,000 people have been deported, while in 2025 alone, about 9,000 illegal workers have been arrested.