Suppose a different year yields different comparisons? Suppose some people flee France and claim asylum elsewhere?
The comparison is meaningless, until you start to drill down to analyse the reasons for acceptance or rejection.
I could argue that the applicants that arrive in UK are more deserving, more desperate, etc. But as none of us have the wherewithal to drill down into the reasons for acceptance or rejection, my argument would be as valid as your presumed argument.
The article I linked shows a reduction in refugees follows a hostile stance. That can be housing them in inhumane conditions, giving them a kicking and taking them to the border or denying their claim in the hope they will try elsewhere. I make no comment on whether its the right thing to do