National statistics

How many people do we grant protection to?

Published 29 February 2024

Back to ‘Immigration system statistics, year ending December 2023’ content page.

Data relates to 2023 and all comparisons are with 2022 (unless indicated otherwise).

1. Overview of people offered protection

62,336 people were granted refugee status or other protection following an asylum application in 2023. This is the highest number of people granted since records began (in 1984), due to the combination of a high grant rate and high volumes of decisions being made. Of these, there were:

• 57,324 people granted refugee permission
• 74 people granted temporary refugee permission
• 3,571 people granted humanitarian protection
• 1,367 people granted alternative forms of protection or leave (such as discretionary leave, UASC leave)

102,283 people were offered a safe and legal (humanitarian) route to the UK in 2023. This includes refugees resettled to the UK and family members of refugees, although the majority relate to individuals on the specific visa routes for Ukrainian nationals and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders coming from Hong Kong. More information on safe and legal (humanitarian) routes can be found in ‘Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to the UK’.

2. Asylum applications

An asylum application may relate to more than one person, if the main applicant has family members (or ‘dependants’) who are included in the same application. This release features data on both the number of asylum applications (‘main applicants only’), and the total number of people claiming asylum (‘main applicants and dependants’ combined).

There were 67,337 asylum applications in the UK in 2023, 17% fewer than in 2022.

There were 67,337 asylum applications (relating to 84,425 people) in the UK in 2023, 17% lower than the number of applications in 2022 (81,130 applications, relating to 99,939 people). As shown in figure 1, the latest number of applications is 20% lower than the previous peak in 2002 (84,132 applications).

Figure 1: Asylum applications lodged in the UK, years ending December 2002 to 2023¹

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.

There were 3,412 applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in 2023, 41% less than in 2022. UASC applications made up 5% of total asylum applications to the UK in 2023, compared to 7% in 2022.

2.1 Asylum applications by nationality

In 2023, many top nationalities have seen a decrease in applications compared to 2022, most notably Albanians.

Asylum applications decreased by 17% overall between 2022 and 2023. As shown in figure 2, many nationalities saw a decrease in this period, including Afghanistan (down 27% to 7,512), Iran (down 27% to 5,888), and Syria (down 22% to 3,022). The most notable is the 79% decrease in Albanian applications, from 15,070 in 2022 to 3,230 in 2023, following a substantial increase in the number of Albanians arriving by small boat in the summer of 2022.

Some of the top nationalities showed an increase over the period, including India (up 45% to 4,487), Pakistan (up 63% to 3,835) and Turkey (up 87% to 3,636).

Figure 2: Top 10 nationalities claiming asylum in the UK, years ending December 2021 to 2023, and grant rate at initial decision (%), year ending December 2023^{1, 2}

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

Notes:

1. Top 10 nationalities in the year ending December 2023 (excluding stateless); main applicants only.
2. The percentages in the chart are the grant rate at initial decision for each nationality in the year ending December 2023. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave.

2.2 Asylum applications by route of entry to the UK

Due to the transition to a new data system, data for asylum claims from small boat arrivals for June to December 2023 was unavailable at the time of publication. Further updates will be included in future editions of this publication once available. Therefore, data for the ‘year ending June 2023’ reports on the period July 2022 to May 2023.

Asylum seekers use a variety of routes to travel to the UK. Some will arrive via clandestine (irregular) routes, such as small boats; others will travel to the UK on a visa before claiming asylum. Some asylum seekers claim asylum immediately upon arrival to the UK; others may have been present in the UK some time prior to making an asylum claim.

The majority of small boat arrivals claim asylum, and small boat arrivals accounted for over one-third (37%) of the total number of people claiming asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2023. More detail on asylum claims from small boat arrivals is available in section 4 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK, year ending June 2023’ release.

The Migrant journey: 2022 report estimates that around 14% of people claiming asylum in 2022 held another form of leave prior to (within 7 days of) lodging their application.

Other entry routes to the UK may include:

• arrival on a legal visa route, but where an individual subsequently finds that they are unable to return to their country of origin and have reason to claim asylum in the UK
• arrival through the common travel area without valid permission to enter
• arrival through other irregular routes including lorries or shipping containers
• arrival through regular routes using fraudulent documents

3. Asylum applications awaiting an initial decision

An asylum application may relate to more than one person, if the main applicant has family members (or ‘dependants’) who are included in the same application. This release features data on both the number of initial decisions on asylum applications (‘main applicants only’), and the number of people related to initial decisions (‘main applicants and dependants’).

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA) came into force on 28 June 2022 and divided the asylum caseload between ‘legacy’ (asylum applications raised before 28 June 2022) and ‘flow’ cases (asylum applications raised on or after 28 June 2022) to ensure that cases which had spent a long time awaiting a decision were prioritised.

At the end of December 2023, there were 95,252 cases awaiting an initial decision, 28% fewer than at the end of December 2022.

At the end of December 2023, there were 95,252 cases (relating to 128,786 people) awaiting an initial decision. This was 28% fewer than a year earlier (when there were 132,182 applications, relating to 160,919 people). Between December 2022 and December 2023, the legacy backlog decreased by 96% (from 88,440 to 3,902). The 3,902 legacy cases have been assessed as complex, requiring additional checks or investigation for a final decision to be made. Due to the continuing high number of new applications, the number of flow cases doubled between the end of December 2022 and the end of December 2023, to 91,350.

Figure 3: Number of applications awaiting an initial decision, as at 30 June 2022 to as at 31 December 2023^{1, 2, 3}

Source: Asylum and resettlement summary tables – Asy_10a

Notes:

1. Includes main applicants only.
2. Figures include the number of people awaiting a decision at the end of the period, rather than the total throughout the period.
3. ‘Legacy asylum cases’ refers to asylum applications made before 28 June 2022, and ‘Flow asylum cases’ refers to applications made on or after 28 June 2022.

The latest decrease in the number of applications awaiting initial decision is the first year-on-year reduction since the end of September 2015. This is due to an increase in the number of initial decisions being made in the second half of 2023, due to a combination of factors including the increase in the number of asylum decision makers employed by the Home Office, and an increase in decision maker productivity. Productivity levels have been influenced by several changes introduced to speed up asylum processing, including simplified guidance, shorter focused interviews, and streamlining initiatives (including the Streamlined Asylum Process, which seeks to accelerate the processing of manifestly well-founded asylum claims and, where possible, allow positive decisions to be taken without the need for a substantive interview).

In addition to those awaiting an initial decision, the asylum casework system includes cases who have appealed their initial decision and await an outcome, as well as failed asylum seekers who are subject to removal from the UK. The latest data available (for the end of June 2023) shows a total of 215,518 cases as ‘work in progress’ in the asylum system as a whole.

Data on the total number of outstanding cases in the asylum system (‘asylum work in progress’), asylum decision makers, processing times and productivity is published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration transparency data collection. For more information, see section 6.1 below.

4. Support provided to asylum seekers

People in the asylum system who are destitute receive support from the UK Government. This could be the provision of accommodation, subsistence (cash support) or both, overseen by the Home Office.

At the end of December 2023, there were 111,132 individuals in receipt of asylum support, of which 41% were in hotel accommodation.

At the end of December 2023, there were 111,132 individuals in receipt of asylum support, 10% fewer than at the end of September 2023 and similar to the end of December 2022. Of these:

• 45,768 people were in hotel accommodation (41%), down 18% from 56,042 at the end of September
• 60,714 people were in other accommodation (55%), down from 62,968 at the end of September
• 4,650 people were in receipt of subsistence support only (4%), down from 4,748 at the end of September

Data on asylum seekers on support by local authority area is also published and can be found at Asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority – Asy_D11.

5. Asylum claims considered inadmissible

From 1 January 2021, following the UK’s departure from the EU, updated inadmissibility rules came into effect. The inadmissibility rules provide the grounds for treating an asylum claim as inadmissible to the UK asylum system, if a person has earlier presence in, or connection to, a safe third country. It also provides for the person to be removed to that or another safe third country, with that country’s permission.

Since 2021, 84 people have been served with inadmissibility decisions and 25 people have been removed on inadmissibility grounds.

Between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2023:

• 77,304 asylum claimants were identified for consideration on inadmissibility grounds
• 34,113 ‘notices of intent’ were issued to individuals, to inform them that their case was being reviewed to determine whether removal action on inadmissibility grounds was appropriate and possible
• 84 individuals were served with inadmissibility decisions, meaning the UK would not admit the asylum claim for consideration in the UK system, because another country was considered to be responsible for the claim, owing to the claimant’s previous presence in, or connection to a safe country
• there were 25 enforced removals of individuals considered for removal on inadmissibility grounds
• 47,993 individuals were subsequently admitted into the UK asylum process for substantive consideration of their asylum claim

The 25 returns were made to Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

For further information, including breakdowns of the data by quarter and nationality, see Asy_09a and Asy_09b of the asylum and resettlement summary tables.

6. Outcomes of asylum applications

6.1 Initial decisions

In 2023, there were 74,172 initial decisions made on asylum applications, almost 4 times more than in 2022.

In 2023, there were 74,172 initial decisions made on asylum applications, almost 4 times more than in the previous year. The increase in decisions is linked to more asylum decision makers and increased productivity; see section 3 for more detail.

83% (61,554) of the initial decisions were made in the second half of 2023, with 23,345 decisions in July to September and 38,209 decisions in October to December. The number of decisions in October to December is the highest number of decisions in a quarter since January to March 2001 (47,228 decisions).

In 2023, there were 24,027 withdrawn asylum applications, more than 4 times the number in the previous year (when there were 5,255). 79% of withdrawals in 2023 were implicit withdrawals – which occur for a number of reasons, including where someone has already left the UK before their claim was concluded, where they fail to attend their asylum interview, or fail to maintain contact with the Home Office.

6.2 Grants of refugee status and other protection

The asylum grant rate relates to cases receiving an initial decision in 2023. However, these applications may have been made in an earlier period. Therefore, the latest grant rate may not necessarily be indicative of the outcomes for claims made most recently.

The data on grants in this section include only those granted at initial decision following an asylum application. There will be additional people who receive a grant of protection following an appeal against the initial decision on their application. See section 3.2 of the year ending March 2023 ‘How many people do we grant protection to?’ chapter for the most recent analysis of asylum appeals and their outcomes.

Just over two-thirds (67%) of the initial decisions in 2023 were grants – a lower proportion than the three-quarters (76%) granted in 2022.

Just over two-thirds (67%) of the initial decisions in 2023 were grants of refugee status, humanitarian protection or alternative forms of leave. Prior to COVID-19 between a third and a half of applications were successful at initial decision.

As a result of the high grant rate and increase in decisions, the number of people granted (62,336) is the highest since records began in 1984.

The grant rate in the final quarter (October to December) 2023 (60%) was much lower than the grant rate in July to September 2023 (80%) due to a higher number of refusals (15,380 in October to December compared to 4,743 in July to September). Decision outcomes will in part reflect the types of cases being decided in this period.

Figure 4: Outcomes and grant rate per quarter, 2018 quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) to 2023 quarter 4 (Oct to Dec)^{1, 2, 3}

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D02

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.
2. Outcomes refer to initial decisions (grants and refusals) and withdrawals. The date relates to when the outcome was issued.
3. Grant rate is shown as a percentage on a secondary axis. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave. Excludes withdrawals.

The overall grant rate can vary for a number of reasons, including the mix of nationalities applying for asylum, the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK. It is also affected by operational resourcing and policy decisions, such as changes to the types of cases prioritised for decisions. For example, figure 4 shows a decrease in grant rate in 2020. This could be attributed to the temporary suspension of interviews following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the flow of asylum cases and limiting the mix of cases available to progress during this period. The Home Office guidance on caseworking prioritisation is published on GOV.UK.

Grant rates vary considerably by nationality as the protection needs of specific groups or individuals differ, usually depending on the situation in their home country. Currently, there are a large number of applications from individuals from countries with ongoing conflict. As shown in figure 2, almost all applications from Afghan, Eritrean, Syrian and Sudan nationals are granted at initial decision, and a high proportion of Turkish and Iranian (85%) nationals are granted also. In contrast, some other nationalities who claim asylum in significant numbers have much lower grant rates. India and Albania were the third and eighth most common nationalities applying for asylum but had grant rates of 8% and 9% respectively.

7. International asylum comparisons

The numbers published by Eurostat relate to the total numbers of individuals, so include dependants. The EU+ refers to the 27 countries in the EU, 3 additional countries who are members of the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and Montenegro. The latest available comparative data relates to the year ending September 2023.

In the year ending September 2023, asylum applications in the EU+ increased by 29%, whilst in the UK they remained stable.

In the year ending September 2023, there were 1.14 million people claiming asylum in the EU+, an increase of 29% compared to the previous year (compared to 1% in the UK).

Germany received the highest number of asylum applicants (341,300) in the EU+, followed by France (167,230) and Spain (156,180) (see figure 5).

When compared with other European countries, the UK received the fifth largest number of asylum seekers (93,296). This equates to 8% of the total asylum applicants across the EU+ and UK combined over that period, but the 20th largest intake when measured ‘per head of population’.

Figure 5: The number of asylum applicants to the UK and the top 3 countries in the EU+, year ending September 2019 to year ending September 2023^{1, 2, 3}

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

Notes:

1. Top 3 countries in the EU+ receiving asylum applicants in the year ending September 2023.
2. Includes main applicants and dependants.
3. Data for the UK is sourced from Home Office data. Prior to October to December 2020, data for the UK was sourced from Eurostat.

The EU+ and the UK received 50,201 applications from UASCs in the year ending September 2023. The UK received the fourth largest intake of UASC applications in the EU+ and UK, with 4,656 applications in the year ending September 2023 (9% of all UASC applications in the EU+ and UK). Germany received the highest number with 13,730 (27%) applications, Austria was second with 8,035 (16%) and the Netherlands third with 5,380 (11%) applications.

8. About these statistics

This section provides information on those applying for asylum in the UK. Information on those offered safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to come to the UK, including resettlement and family reunion visas can be found in ‘Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to the UK’.

Further data relating to asylum and protection can be found in our data tables, and further details on the statistics can be found in the user guide.

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

8.1 Asylum applications and initial decisions

An asylum applicant (also referred to as ‘asylum seekers’) is someone who makes a claim to be recognised as a refugee under the ‘Refugee Convention’ and receive protection and assistance. Asylum applicants will receive a decision on their application, which may be a grant of refugee status, humanitarian protection, or another form of permission to stay, or a refusal.

Data on asylum applications relates 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 2 are not directly comparable.

Data on initial decisions on asylum applications will not represent the total number of people granted refugee status or other protection as some initial decisions may be overturned following appeal. Data on the number of appeals lodged, and their outcomes, is published in ‘Asylum appeals lodged and determined – Asy_D06 and Asy_D07’. Asylum appeals data from April 2023 onwards was not available at the time of data extraction for this release due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration system statistics release.

UASC application 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 is published in Age disputes – Asy_D05. Data relating to UASCs who are found to be aged 18 years and over is not available for January 2022 to September 2023 due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration system statistics release.

8.2 Support provided to asylum seekers

The data on support includes support provided under Section 95, Section 98 and Section 4. Further details on these types of support can be found in the user guide.

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

8.3 Asylum claims considered inadmissible

The inadmissibility rules provide the grounds for treating an asylum claim as inadmissible to the UK asylum system, if a person has earlier presence in, or connection to, a safe third country. It also provides for the person to be removed to that or another safe third country, with that country’s permission.

From 1 January 2021, following the UK’s departure from the EU, updated ‘inadmissibility rules’ came into effect. Prior to the UK leaving the EU, most inadmissibility decisions were made according to the ‘Dublin Regulation’, which for the cases in its remit, established the criteria and mechanisms for determining which state was responsible for examining an application for international protection. Further details can be found in the user guide.

Data on transfers into and out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation (prior to the UK leaving the EU) is available in Dub_D01.

8.4 International comparisons

Eurostat asylum statistics can be used to compare asylum statistics with EU member states. Eurostat data is not directly comparable with other Home Office Immigration system statistics data. Eurostat figures combine main applicants and dependants, and as such that is how comparative UK statistics are presented in this section. For a full list of differences between Eurostat and Home Office asylum statistics, see the user guide.

9. Data tables and further links

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

• Asylum and resettlement data tables

Further links:

• Irregular migration to the UK statistics
• Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act
• Migration transparency data
• Migrant journey: 2022 report
• Eurostat asylum statistics
• Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation, 2022
• Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to the UK
• Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data
• Ukraine Visa Schemes: visa data
• Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) route

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.

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems or have any feedback relating to accessibility, please email us.

See section 6 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.