Official statistics have shown that asylum seekers in one English county are approximately 9,000% more likely to commit sexual or violent offences than their share of the local population would indicate, as protests against asylum accommodation—some turning violent—have intensified across Europe in the last week.
British Home Office asylum support data for the end of September 2025 recorded 618 asylum seekers in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole council area, where most asylum accommodation is concentrated. With Dorset’s total population at approximately 800,000 to 820,000, and no asylum hotels recorded in the rest of the county, this equates to roughly 0.08% of the local population.
