Britain’s asylum crisis was laid bare as 93,525 sought sanctuary in the UK last year. The staggering number claimed asylum in the year to March, but it is down from 106,130 in the previous 12 months. An alarming 38,980 people applied after crossing the Channel on a dinghy, while 36,711 claimed refuge after arriving on a study, work or visitor visa.

Of this group, 10,835 held a study visa, 13,994 arrived on a work visa, 7,048 used a visitor visa and 4,834 held other forms of leave. One in 10 asylum seekers was from Pakistan, with 9,438 in total. Most sought protection after arriving on a visa. Eritreans, Afghans, Iranians, Sudanese and Somalis accounted for almost three-fifths of all small boat arrivals.

But new figures published by the Home Office reveal how the Government is still struggling to deport small boat migrants.

Just 2,750 were removed in the year to March.

And it comes after the Daily Express has revealed the vast majority of Channel migrants are not being removed, with just 0.5% of the biggest cohorts being returned.

Our probe revealed a staggering 96,002 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Eritrea have arrived in small boats between 2018 and 2025.

But only 495 – 0.5% – have been sent back to these countries in seven years.

New figures, obtained for the first time by the Daily Express, also reveal more small boat migrants have been returned to Ireland, 57, than Syria, 55 and Afghanistan, 16.

And the same number have been sent back to Somalia and Tunisia as the United States of America – all 3.

This is a breaking story. More to follow.