The twenty towns and cities across the UK that are housing the most asylum seekers have been revealed. New data from the Migration Observatory shows the pressures facing local councils and communities across the country.

The list comes as Britain's asylum system reaches record strain. In 2024, more than 108,000 people claimed asylum in the United Kingdom, the highest number since records began in 1979. And the cost of operating the system has skyrocketed, reaching £5.4 billion in 2023/24. The total includes hotel accommodation, legal support and more, and is expected to keep on climbing.

Glasgow tops the list, followed by Birmingham and then Hillingdon in London, which includes Heathrow Airport and currently houses more than 2,400 asylum seekers.

The data also shows that Sudanese immigrants had the highest grant rate, with 99 percent of initial claims being approved. Other nationalities with high approval rates included people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, and Syria.

The numbers show the scale of the challenge across the UK, with a small number of cities and towns bearing the brunt of the UK's asylum dispersal policy. London alone accounts for several of the highest ranking areas, while northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield also feature prominently.

Critics have long argued that the policy places a disproportionate strain on local services, from housing and healthcare to education, particularly in councils already grappling with funding pressures.

The Migration Observatory data shows that overall asylum numbers have surged, and that distribution pattern remains consistent with previous years, with accommodation providers favouring large cities where contracts and infrastructure already exist.