Despite panic about the “swarms” of migrants supposedly trying to reach British shores from Calais, only four per cent of Europe’s asylum seekers are applying to stay in the UK.

Statistics from the European Commission show that 185,000 people applied for asylum for the first time across the EU in the first three months of this year, but only a tiny fraction were in Britain.

The UK stands in seventh place for claims, being far outstripped by people seeking safety in Germany, Hungary and Italy.

Here is the number of first-time asylum applications as a percentage of the EU-wide total, showing the UK on a paltry four per cent.

When the figures are adjusted to be proportionate to countries’ respective populations, the UK ranks even lower – in 17th place.

There were 114 asylum seekers for every million people already living in the country in the first three months of this year.

In Hungary, which is a major entry point for migrants taking the land route through the Balkans to reach Europe, the figure was almost 30 times that.

According to Eurostat, the largest groups of asylum seekers during the period were Kosovan, Syrian and Afghan.

Most of those lodging applications in the UK were from Pakistan, followed by Eritrea and Syria.

Around half of all first-time applications were granted in the EU last year, amounting to 104,000 official refugees in total.

In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Show all 20 1 /20 In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais Getty Images In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis French gendarmes block migrants along a road to prevent them access to train tracks which lead to the Channel Tunnel in Frethun, near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Policemen try to prevent migrants from reaching the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A policeman faces migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A policeman tries to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants who managed to pass the police block on the Eurotunnel site climb over a fence to make their way towards the boarding docks in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants are seen near a Channel Tunnel train in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel run past policemen in Coquelles near Calaisa In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants step over the fence as they try to catch a train to reach England, in Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants warm themselves with a fire as they attempt to access the Channel Tunnel, in Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis An Afghan flag flies above makeshift shelters at a site dubbed the "new jungle", where migrants trying to cross the Channel to reach Britain have camped out around the northern French port of Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter around the northern French port of Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants walk in a makeshift camp in Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis A driver climbs on his truck as he waits to cross the English channel, in Calais In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Calais crisis Migrants walk along the roadside while a French policeman secures the area as lorries queue in Calais

For someone to be recognised as a refugee in the UK, the government must be satisfied that they are unable to go back to their own country or live safely there because of conflict or persecution.

David Cameron’s description of “a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean…wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs” was harshly criticised last month.

“We will remove more illegal migrants from our country so people know it's not a safe haven once you're there," the Prime Minister vowed.

A migrant child being rescued from a capsized boat off the coast of Libya on Wednesday (Reuters)

Lisa Doyle, head of advocacy for Refugee Council, told The Independent the “irresponsible, de-humanising language” should not have been used to describe the desperate men, women and children fleeing for their lives across the Mediterranean, and frequently dying in the attempt.

More than 200 people are feared to have drowned when a boat packed with migrants by Libyan smugglers capsized last week.