By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - The UK saw a notable decline in irregular arrivals and asylum applications in 2023, according to figures released Thursday by the UK Home Office.
Data revealed a 33% decrease in irregular arrivals compared to 2022, with 36,704 detections recorded.
One of the most significant drops was in small boat arrivals, which plummeted 36% from the previous year, totaling 29,437 individuals.
Afghans constituted the largest group for small boat arrivals, comprising 20% of the total.
The number of returns of small boat arrivals increased dramatically, nearly quintupling from 379 in 2022 to 1,889 in 2023.
Immigration detention figures reflected a downward trend, with 15,864 individuals entering detention -- a 24% decrease compared to the previous year.
Moreover, the data indicated shifts in detention outcomes, with 33% of individuals leaving detention in 2023 due to removal from the UK -- a notable increase from 20% in the previous year. The rise was largely driven by heightened returns of Albanian nationals.
In terms of asylum, the UK reported 67,337 asylum applications representing 84,425 individuals in 2023, marking a 17% decrease from the previous year.
By the end of December, there were 95,252 cases awaiting initial decisions -- a 28% reduction compared to December 2022.