The UK’s asylum system now costs £5 billion – the highest level of spending on record and up by more than a third in a year.

Home Office spending on asylum rose by £1.43 billion, up 36% from £3.95 billion in 2022/23 to £5.38 billion in 2023/24, PA news agency analysis of figures published on Thursday showed.

The latest figure is now the highest total since comparable data began in 2010/11.

It is more than four times the equivalent figure for 2020/21 (£1.34 billion) and nearly 12 times the total a decade ago in 2013/14 (£0.45 billion).

The total covers all Home Office asylum costs, including direct cash support and accommodation, plus wider staffing and other related migration and border activity.

The figure does not include the cost of operations responding to Channel crossings, intercepting migrants as they make the journey to the UK.

Although the majority of migrants entering the UK in this manner do then end up in the asylum system, data suggests.