UK Asylum Claims Reach Record High, Starmer Faces Rising Pressure

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing intensified criticism over his immigration policies as official data reveals asylum claims at a record high, with over 111,000 claims in the year to June, surpassing the previous peak from 2002. Immigration has overtaken the economy as the top voter concern amid growing anger over more than 27,000 asylum seekers arriving by small boats across the Channel this year. More than 32,000 asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels, an 8% increase from last year, although this number is significantly lower than the peak recorded in September 2023. The Reform Party, advocating deportation of illegal immigrants, is leading in polls and pressuring Starmer, who pledged to reduce net immigration. The government faced a setback when a council near London gained an injunction preventing asylum seekers from being housed in a hotel after protests erupted following a resident's charge for sexual assault, with other councils considering similar actions. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the government's approach, citing a rise in returned asylum seekers, but opposition figures accuse the Labour government of losing control of the borders amid a migration crisis.