Over a third of asylum applications made by migrants who have overstayed or are illegally in the UK. Thousands of immigrants and overstayers have only claim asylum after being caught by immigration officers. Home Office data shows the level of to which migrants try to “play the system” in a bid to prolong their stay.
36% of asylum applications over a ten year period between 2004-2014 were made by migrants “encountered by local immigration and enforcement staff” totalling 83,912 of the 231,100 applications received in those years.