National statistics

How many people do we grant asylum or protection to?

Published 21 May 2020

Back to ‘Immigration statistics, year ending March 2020’ content page.

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Data relate to the year ending March 2020 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2019, unless indicated otherwise. A more detailed annual summary, which also includes a cohort analysis providing the grant rates following appeal, can be found in ‘Immigration statistics, year ending June 2018’.

This section contains data on:

• asylum applications and initial decisions, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC)
• resettlement
• family reunion visas granted
• asylum support
• Dublin regulation

1. Asylum, resettlement and protection

The UK offered protection – in the form of asylum, humanitarian protection, alternative forms of leave and resettlement – to 20,339 people in the year ending March 2020, 17% higher than the previous year and similar to levels seen in 2003.

The number of grants of protection and alternative forms of leave in the year ending March 2020 included:

• 12,863 grants of asylum, up 40% compared with the previous year, with notable increases in grants to Iranian (up 62% to 2,653), Sudanese (up 87% to 1,657) and Eritrean (up 55% to 1,734) nationals
• 1,482 grants of humanitarian protection, up 24% – over half of these (58%) were granted to Libyan nationals
• 1,026 grants of alternative forms of leave following an application for asylum, down 18%
• 4,968 grants of protection through resettlement schemes, 14% fewer than in the previous year – and three-quarters of which were to Syrian nationals

In addition to those granted asylum, humanitarian protection and alternative forms of leave at initial decision following an asylum application, over the same period a further 3,761 had an appeal allowed following an initial refusal of asylum.

Additionally, 7,482 Family reunion visas were issued to partners and children of those previously granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, 37% more than the previous year.

Figure 1: Grants¹ of asylum, alternative forms of leave², and resettlement³ in the UK, years ending March 2010 to March 2020⁴

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D02)

Notes:

1. Grants at initial decision. Actual number of grants at final decision (following appeal) will be higher.
2. ‘Alternative forms of leave’ include grants of humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, grants under family and private life rules, leave outside the rules and UASC leave, that resulted from an asylum application.
3. Resettlement data prior to 2013 are only available annually. Data for individual quarters in this period have been estimated by taking 25% of the annual total.
4. Includes main applicants and dependants.

1.1 Resettlement

The Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) accounted for over three-quarters (4,030) of those resettled in the UK in year ending March 2020. Since the government announced the expansion of the scheme on 7th September 2015, including the target of resettling an additional 20,000 refugees under the scheme by 2020, 19,768 refugees have been resettled in the UK. In addition, 239 refugees were resettled prior to this, and do not count towards the 20,000 target.

A further 416 people were resettled under the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) in year ending March 2020, bringing the total to 1,826 since the scheme began in 2016.

Of those resettled under the VPRS and VCRS in the year ending March 2020, 168 refugees were resettled in the UK through the Community Sponsorship scheme. Since the scheme began in July 2016, 449 refugees have been resettled by community sponsor groups.

Details of the schemes can be found in the ‘About the statistics’ section.

From 2020, once the 20,000 VPRS refugees have been resettled, the UK has announced plans to resettle around 5,000 of the world’s most vulnerable refugees in the first year of operation of a new resettlement scheme. The new resettlement scheme will consolidate the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme and the Gateway Protection Programme into one global scheme.

1.2 Asylum applications

There were 35,099 asylum applications (main applicants only) in the UK in the year ending March 2020, 11% more than the previous year, but lower than the recent peak in year ending June 2016 (36,546).

Figure 2: Asylum applications lodged in the UK, years ending March 2011 to March 2020¹

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01)

Notes:

1. Includes main applicants only.

Iran was the top nationality claiming asylum in the UK in 2019 (4,741 applications, up 22% compared with the previous year), followed by Albania (3,467, up 40%). Over two thirds (68%) of applications from Iranian nationals were granted at initial decision, compared to only around a quarter (26%) of those from Albanians. The UK has seen an increase in Iranian nationals applying for asylum since the year ending June 2018 (2,432), but numbers are just below the peak in year ending June 2016 (4,905). Prior to the increase from early 2018, applications from Albanian nationals have been relatively stable since the year ending March 2014.

Figure 3: Top 10 nationalities¹ claiming asylum² in the UK and grant rate^3,4 at initial decision (%), year ending March 2019 compared with year ending March 2020

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01 and Asy_D02)

Notes:

1. Top 10 nationalities in the most recent year.
2. Includes main applicants only.
3. The percentages in the chart are the grant rate at initial decision for each nationality in the most recent year.
4. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave. Grant rate is based on year of initial decision and is not directly comparable to applications, which are based on the date the asylum application was made.

Eurostat Asylum statistics show the total number of asylum applications across the EU member states increased by 11% in year ending December 2019 compared with the previous year, although there were falls in applications to Italy and Germany. Some of the UK’s near neighbours such as France (up 7%), Netherlands (up 5%) and Belgium (up 22%), along with Greece (up 15%) and Spain (up 118%), all saw increases. The UK’s number of applications was equivalent to the 5th largest of the EU member states in year ending December 2019; however, this would represent only the 19th largest per head of the population.

1.3 Grant rate

In year ending March 2020, 54% of initial decisions on asylum applications were grants of asylum, humanitarian protection or alternative forms of leave (such as discretionary leave or UASC leave). This was the highest initial decision grant rate on record, up from 39% in the previous year.

Data from the Home Office ‘cohort’ analysis, published annually in Asy_D04, show that the final grant rate typically increases by 10 to 20 percentage points following appeal. More detailed analysis can be found in the August edition of Immigration statistics.

Grant rates vary considerably by nationality as the protection requirements of specific nationalities or individuals vary. Of those nationalities that commonly claim asylum in the UK, Libyans (97%) and Syrians (92%) typically have high grant rates at initial decision, while nationals of India (4%), China (17%) and Bangladesh (18%) typically have low grant rates.

2. Support provided to asylum seekers

At the end of March 2020, 44,244 asylum seekers in the UK were in receipt of support under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, down 3% from the same time the previous year, despite the increase in asylum applications over the period.

Of these, 41,388 (94%) were in receipt of both accommodation and subsistence, and 2,856 (6%) in receipt of subsistence only. The majority (83%) were located in England, with smaller supported populations in Scotland (9%), Wales (7%) and Northern Ireland (2%).

An additional 4,077 individuals were in receipt of support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (up 4% from the previous year) and 2,577 individuals were in receipt of support under Section 98 (41% more than the year before). Section 98 support is provided to asylum seekers on a short-term basis while their application for section 95 support is considered.

In 2019, the latest year available, there were 20,009 applications for Section 95 support, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. This increase comes at a time when asylum applications increased, by 21%, over the same period.

3. Dublin Regulation

In 2019, the latest year available, there were 2,236 requests from other member states to transfer individuals into the UK under the Dublin Regulation. There were 714 transfers into the UK under the Dublin Regulation. The majority (496) of these transfers came from Greece.

Over the same period, there were 3,258 requests from the UK to transfer individuals out of the UK to other member states. There were 263 transfers out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation. Of these transfers, 104 (40%) were transfers to Germany and 53 (20%) were transfers to France.

4. Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016

Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, also known as the ‘Dubs’ amendment, committed the UK to bring 480 unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) to the UK from Europe. To date, 478 UASC have been transferred to the UK from the participating States of France, Greece, and Italy. Additional breakdowns on those who have transferred to the UK under the ‘Dubs’ scheme will be published in future Immigration Statistics releases, once all 480 children have been transferred to the UK. Further details about the scheme can be found in the ‘Dubs Factsheet’ on GOV.UK.

5. The impact of COVID-19

The Home Office is publishing a separate report on 28 May 2020, which will provide a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through into April. However, some changes were already visible in the period to the end of March 2020.

In the first quarter of this year (January to March 2020), the number of people granted protection or other forms of leave was 7% lower than the same period in 2019, although there were sharper falls in the latter half of March 2020, which are likely related to COVID-19.

At the same time, asylum applications in the first quarter of 2020 fell by 5% compared with the same quarter in the previous year, and there were sharper falls towards the end of March 2020.

6. About the statistics

This section provides information on those applying for and granted protection in the UK through both asylum and resettlement routes, as well as information on the numbers in receipt of asylum support.

The data are used to assess the trends in numbers of people seeking and being granted protection, the impact of policy changes, and to understand the demographics of those coming to the UK to claim protection. Data on resettlement and support, broken down by local authority, can help local authorities understand the demands on their services and resources to aid with planning.

6.1 Asylum, resettlement and protection

The total number of individuals granted protection includes grants related to an asylum application (grants of asylum or alternative forms of leave) and resettlement. Alternative forms of leave include humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, UASC leave, leave outside the rules, and grants under family and private life rules. Further details can be found in the user guide.

Data on asylum applications relate to the period in which the application was lodged, and initial decisions relate to the period in which the decision was made. Initial decisions may, therefore, relate to an application made in an earlier period, and thus the two are not directly comparable.

Data on initial decisions will not reflect the total number of people granted protection through asylum routes as some initial decisions may be overturned following appeal. Data on the number of appeals lodged, and their outcomes, are published in Asylum appeals lodged and determined – Asy_D06 and Asy_D07.

UASC data includes those treated as an unaccompanied minor for at least one day between the date of application and the date of initial decision. Some UASC applicants may subsequently be found to be an adult following conclusion of an age dispute. Data on age disputes are published in Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01 and Asy_D02.

Eurostat asylum statistics can be used to compare asylum statistics with EU member states. The methodology used to compile Eurostat data differs from that used in this release. Further details can be found in the user guide.

The UK Community Sponsorship scheme was launched on 19 July 2016. The scheme allows community groups to support refugee families directly and aims to help them become self-sufficient and integrated members of the community. These figures are a subset of those published under the VPRS and VCRS and are not in addition to those resettled under these schemes. Further details can be found on the Community sponsorship scheme launched for refugees in the UK page.

Family reunion visas are a subset of the ‘Family – other’ visa category, published in the visa tables. The vast majority of ‘Family – other’ visas related to family reunion visas. Data on Family reunion visas come from a different administrative system to other visa data so are not directly comparable. Further details can be found in the user guide.

6.2 Support provided to asylum seekers

Section 95 support is provided to destitute asylum seekers until their claim is finally determined, which may encompass either accommodation or subsistence, or both. ‘Invalid applications for support and support type not yet known’ are cases that have been deemed invalid or which have not yet been assessed.

Section 4 provides support for individuals whose claim has been refused and who have exhausted their appeal rights, but who are destitute and are temporarily unable to leave the UK.

Section 98 support provides accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute and who are either awaiting a decision on an application for Section 95 support or are supported under Section 95 and are awaiting transfer to their accommodation.

The data show the number of people in receipt of support on a given day, but do not show the length of time for which someone receives support or the amount of support they receive.

6.3 Dublin

Dublin data are published on an annual basis in February.

The Dublin Regulation is EU legislation that establishes the criteria and mechanisms for determining which single state is responsible for examining an application for international protection. The criteria for determining the Dublin state responsible for examining the asylum claim, along with further details on the Dublin Regulation, are set out in the user guide.

The data show the number of requests from EU member states to transfer an individual into the UK, and the number of individuals transferred into the UK under the Dublin Regulation. They also show the number of requests from the UK to EU member states to transfer an individual out of the UK, and the number of individuals transferred out of the UK.

Data on arrivals relate to the period in which the individual arrived in the UK, removals relate to the period in which the individual was removed from the UK, and requests for transfer in/out relate to the period in which the request was made.

Data on transfers out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation are a subset of the published returns data found in ‘How many people are detained or returned?’.

7. Data tables

Data referred to here can be found in the following tables:

• Asylum and resettlement summary tables
• Detailed asylum and resettlement datasets

We welcome your feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions for the development of this report, please provide feedback by emailing MigrationStatsEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please include the words ‘PUBLICATION FEEDBACK’ in the subject of your email.

See section 7 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.