The British Red Cross’s policy, research and advocacy director Mubeen Bhutta called for the government to create “more safe routes” to prevent people taking dangerous journeys to the UK.

“Behind today’s numbers are real men, women and children who have been forced to flee their homes. Too many are making perilous journeys to find safety, because they have no other option,” Bhutta said in a statement.

“For the vast majority of people, there is no way to claim asylum in the UK without already being here.”

New guidance issued for visa and immigration staff earlier this month set out that anyone entering the UK illegally having made a dangerous journey to do so, including those already here, will normally be refused citizenship.

The measure was criticised by the Refugee Council as well as some Labour MPs.

The Refugee Council said on Thursday it was “encouraged” the government continued to work on the “broken asylum system” during its first six months in power.

However, it called for further efforts to cut the backlog of asylum applications to avoid people “stuck in hotels, trapped in limbo and unable to work”.

The government’s use of hotels to house asylum seekers has continued to rise, with more than 38,000 in hotels at the end of December. That figure was still lower than the peak of 56,000 hit in September 2023.

The government has pledged to stop this practice by the end of the parliament.

The government is legally obliged to provide accommodation to asylum seekers who cannot afford to support themselves while their claims are being considered. But the number of people seeking asylum in the UK has hit record levels, leading to a shortage of spaces in existing accommodation.