National statistics

How many people do we grant protection to?

Updated 14 November 2023

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

1. Overview of people offered protection

The UK offered protection to 175,142 people in the year ending June 2023.

20,888 (12%) people were granted refugee status or other protection following an asylum application in the year ending June 2023. There were:

  • 19,346 people granted refugee permission
  • 130 people granted temporary refugee permission
  • 948 people granted humanitarian protection
  • 464 people granted alternative forms of protection or leave (such as discretionary leave, UASC leave)

154,254 (88%) were offered a safe and legal (humanitarian) route to the UK in the year ending June 2023. There were:

  • 102,807 people granted Ukraine Visa and Extension Schemes visas
  • 43,368 people granted Hong Kong BN(O) visas
  • 4,671 people granted Family Reunion visas
  • 3,408 people resettled and relocated, including 2,570 under Afghan schemes

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D02, Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02 and Extensions – Exe_D01

Notes:

  1. ‘Granted following asylum claim’ represents main applicants and dependants granted protection or other leave.
  2. ‘Offered safe and legal (humanitarian) routes’ include Ukraine Visa and Extension Scheme visa grants, Hong Kong BN(O) visa grants, family reunion visa grants and those resettled or relocated to the UK. Resettlement and relocation schemes include ARAP, ACRS, Community Sponsorship Scheme, Gateway Protection Programme, Mandate Scheme, UK Resettlement Scheme, VCRS and VPRS.
  3. For grants of protection or other leave and Ukraine Visa and Extension Scheme, Hong Kong BN(O) and family reunion visa grants, the time period relates to the date of the grant. For resettlement and relocation schemes, the time period relates to the date at which the refugee arrived in the UK.

2. Asylum applications

An asylum application may relate to more than one person, if the main applicant has family members (or ‘dependants’) which they request to be covered by the same application. This release features data on both the number of asylum applications (‘main applicants only’), and the number of people related to asylum applications (‘main applicants and dependants’).

There were 78,768 asylum applications (relating to 97,390 people) in the UK in the year ending June 2023. This is 19% more applications than in the year ending June 2022 (66,384 applications, relating to 79,922 people), but the number of applications have been decreasing again in 2023.

As shown in Figure 2, the current number of applications is higher than at the time of the European migration crisis (when in the year ending June 2016 there were 36,546 applications in the UK). However, it is 6% lower than the number of asylum applications in the previous peak in 2002 (84,132 applications), which was partly caused by conflict and political unrest at that time in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Somalia.

Figure 2: Asylum applications lodged in the UK, years ending June 2002 to June 20231

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement –Asy_D01

Notes:

  1. Main applicants only.

2.1 Asylum applications by nationality

In every year between 2016 and the year ending June 2022, Iran was the top nationality claiming asylum in the UK. However, due to a rise in Albanian asylum claims in mid-2022, Albania was the most common nationality applying for asylum in the year ending June 2023.

In the year ending June 2023 the UK received 11,790 asylum applications from Albanian nationals, almost two-thirds (7,557) of which originated from small boat arrivals. While there was a substantial rise in Albanian small boat arrivals and asylum applications over the summer months of 2022, these subsequently reduced and by early 2023 had dropped below levels seen in 2021.

Asylum applications from Afghan nationals have also increased following the Taliban takeover. In the year ending June 2023, Afghans were the second most common nationality applying for asylum in the UK, with 9,964 applications, almost double the number in the year ending June 2022 (5,154 applications).

The third most common nationality to claim asylum in the UK were Iranian nationals, with 7,776 applications in the year ending June 2023. This is 29% fewer applications than in the year ending June 2022, when there were 10,908 applications.

Applications from Indian nationals increased from 1,883 applications in the year ending June 2022 to 4,403 applications in the year ending June 2023, making India the fourth most common nationality applying for asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2023.

In the year ending June 2023, the UK received 115 asylum applications (relating to 266 people) from Ukrainian nationals. However, the vast majority of Ukrainians arriving in the UK following the Russian invasion of Ukraine have arrived under new legal migration visa routes introduced for Ukrainian citizens from March 2022. For information on Ukrainians, see the ‘Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK’ chapter of this release.

2.2 Asylum applications by route of entry to the UK

Data linking small boat arrivals to asylum applications for the month of June 2023 was not available at the time of publication, therefore data for the year ending June 2023 covers July 2022 to May 2023.

The increase in asylum applications in the year ending June 2023 partially reflects an increase in small boat arrivals to the UK. In the year ending June 2023, 90% of small boat arrivals (40,386) claimed asylum or were recorded as a dependant on an asylum application. 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. For further information on small boat arrivals and other irregular arrivals, see the ‘Irregular Migration to the UK statistics’ Home Office.

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

Figure 3 shows the method of entry for the top nationalities applying for asylum in the year ending June 2023 can vary. For instance, the vast majority of asylum applications from Albania, Afghanistan, and Iraq were made by small boat arrivals. However, there were very few asylum applications through small boat arrivals from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Figure 3: Top nationalities applying for asylum by method of entry to the UK, year ending June 20231, 2, 3, 4

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01 and Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets – Irr_D02

Notes:

  1. Includes main applicants only.
  2. Based on date the asylum application was raised.
  3. Data linking small boat arrivals to asylum applications for the month of June 2023 was not available at the time of publication, therefore data for the year ending June 2023 covers July 2022 to May 2023.
  4. ‘Arrived via other route’ may include arrival with a valid visa, arrival without the requirement of a visa, or irregular methods such as air travel, lorries, and shipping containers.

2.3 Asylum seekers by age and sex

Of the 97,390 people who applied for asylum in the year ending June 2023, 60% were adult males aged 18 to 49. Children (aged 17 and under) accounted for almost one-fifth (19%) of people applying for asylum (see table 1 below).

Table 1: Individuals applying for asylum as a proportion of the total, by age and sex in the year ending June 20231, 2

Age Male Female
17 and under 13% 7%
18 to 29 38% 8%
30 to 49 22% 9%
50 to 69 2% 1%
70 and over <1% <1%
Total 75% 25%

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01

Notes:

  1. Includes main applicants and dependants.
  2. Percentages may differ when summed due to rounding.

There were 5,186 applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), a similar number to the year ending June 2022. UASC applications made up 7% of total asylum applications to the UK in the year ending June 2023.

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’) which they request to be covered by 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’).

At the end of June 2023, there were 134,046 cases (relating to 175,457 people) awaiting an initial decision. This was over one-third (35%) more than the number of applications awaiting an initial decision at the end of June 2022 (99,419 applications, relating to 122,213 people). The number of cases awaiting an initial decision has increased over the last 10 years and more rapidly since 2018, when at the end of June that year there were 22,676 cases awaiting an initial decision. The rise in cases awaiting an initial decision since 2018 is due to more cases entering the asylum system than receiving initial decisions.

However, the number of cases awaiting an initial decision has increased by less than 1% over the 3 months between the end of March and the end of June 2023, indicating a slowdown in the rise of the backlog. This is in part due to an increase in the number of initial decisions made, and an increase in the number of asylum decision makers employed by the Home Office. Data on the number of staff in the asylum system is published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection. For more information, see section 6.1 below.

As a result of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA), which came into force on 28 June 2022, the management of the asylum backlog was divided 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.

Of the 134,046 cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of June 2023, around half (67,870 or 51%) of applications were legacy cases, and half (66,176 or 49%) were flow cases. Between the end of December 2022 and the end of June 2023, the legacy backlog decreased by 23% (a decrease of 20,570 applications, from 88,440 to 67,870). However, the continuing high numbers of small boat arrivals have meant that the numbers of flow cases have continued to increase over the last year. See figure 4 below for further breakdown of legacy and flow cases.

Figure 4: Number of applications awaiting an initial decision, as at 30 June 2022 to as at 30 June 20231, 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 as 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.

More recent data on the asylum backlog up to July 2023 is available in the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’ ad hoc release. As at 30 July 2023, there were 136,779 cases (main applicants only) awaiting an initial decision, of which 62,157 (45%) were legacy cases and 74,622 (55%) were flow cases. This data is provisional and has not been cleansed to remove duplicates.

Previously published Home Office statistics show that the current backlog is slightly larger than the previous peak in backlog seen in 1999 (around 125,000 main applicants). For more information, see The Migration Observatory’s article on the asylum backlog which includes a detailed analysis of the published historic Home Office statistics.

The asylum casework includes cases awaiting initial decisions and those who have subsequently appealed and await an outcome, as well as failed asylum seekers who are subject to removal from the UK. Data on the total number of outstanding cases in the asylum system (‘asylum work in progress’), along with further information on numbers of staff in the asylum system, published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ tables in the Migration Transparency Data collection. The latest data available (for the end of June 2023) shows a total of 215,308 cases as ‘work in progress’ in the asylum system as a whole.

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 June 2023, there were 117,450 individuals in receipt of asylum support, 26% more than at the end of June 2022. This continues the long-term trend of increasing numbers in receipt of support, which grew more rapidly following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when the ‘Home Office temporarily ceased ending asylum support’ for those whose claims have been either granted or refused, to ensure people were not made homeless during ‘lockdown’. The increase more recently is related to rising asylum applications and the consequent increase in the number of cases in the asylum system.

Of the 117,450 individuals in receipt of support at the end of June 2023:

  • 50,546 people were in hotel accommodation (43%)
  • 62,728 people were in other accommodation (53%)
  • 4,176 people were in receipt of subsistence support only (4%)

Data on asylum seekers on support by local authority 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.

Between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2023:

  • 60,595 asylum claimants were identified for consideration on inadmissibility grounds
  • 29,258 ‘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
  • 83 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 23 enforced removals of individuals considered for removal on inadmissibility grounds
  • 38,238 individuals were subsequently admitted into the UK asylum process for substantive consideration of their asylum claim

The 23 returns were made to Belgium, 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 summary tables.

6. Outcomes of asylum applications

6.1 Initial decisions

In the year ending June 2023, there were 23,702 initial decisions made on asylum applications, 61% more than in the previous year. This suggests a return to pre-COVID-19 levels of decisions (20,766 decisions were made in 2019), which may be in part due to the increase in the number of asylum decision makers employed by the Home Office. Data on the number of staff in the asylum system is published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

As of 1 June 2023, there were 1,556 asylum decision makers, 83% higher than on 1 June 2022 (when there were 848). More recent provisional data on asylum decisions makers up to July 2023 is available in the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’ release show that there were 1,729 asylum decision makers at the end of July 2023.

6.2 Grants of refugee status and other protection

The asylum grant rate relates to cases receiving an initial decision in the year ending June 2023. However, these applications may have been made some time before. Therefore, the latest grant rate may not necessarily be indicative of the outcomes for claims made more recently.

The data on grants in this section include only those granted at initial decision following an asylum application. However, there will be additional people who receive a grant of protection following an appeal against the initial decision on their application.

More than 7 in 10 (71%) of the initial decisions in the year ending June 2023 were grants of refugee status, humanitarian protection or alternative forms of leave. Since 2021, the grant rate has been over 70% - substantially higher than in pre-COVID-19 years when only around one-third of applications were successful at initial decision. Prior to this latest period, the highest grant rate was over 30 years ago in 1990, when 82% of applications were granted at initial decision, although volumes were lower – there were 4,025 initial decisions in 1990, compared with 23,702 in the year ending June 2023.

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, along with operational resourcing and policy decisions. 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 recognised countries of conflict. The department is prioritising deciding older claims, high harm cases, those cases with extreme vulnerability, children and those in receipt of support.

Figure 5 shows that some of the top 10 nationalities that commonly claim asylum in the UK typically have very high grant rates at initial decision. Almost all applications from Afghans, Eritreans and Syrians are granted at initial decision, and a high proportion of Sudanese (85%) and Iranians (76%) are granted also. In contrast, some other nationalities who claim asylum in significant numbers have much lower grant rates. India was the fourth most common nationality applying for asylum but had a grant rate of just 6%. Albania was the top nationality claiming asylum in the year ending June 2023 but the grant rate for Albanian nationals over the same period was much lower than the overall grant rate, at 19%.

Figure 5: Top 10 nationalities1 claiming asylum in the UK, years ending June 2021 to 2023, and grant rate2 at initial decision (%), year ending June 20231, 2, 3

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

Notes:

  1. Top 10 nationalities in the year ending June 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 June 2023. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave.
  3. Unlike most nationalities applying for asylum, Albanians have a high rate of withdrawing their application. If these withdrawals are taken into account, their grant rate drops from 19% to 4%.

Within a nationality, the grant rate can vary. For example, despite the overall grant rate for Albanians in the year ending June 2023 being 19%, for Albanian adult men the grant rate was 2% but for Albanian adult women and children it was 55% and 35% respectively. The majority of recent Albanian small boat arrivals comprise adult males.

Unlike most other nationalities applying for asylum, Albanians had a high rate of withdrawing their asylum applications (79% of Albanian asylum outcomes in the year ending June 2023 were withdrawals, compared to 21% for all other nationalities combined). The grant rates shown in this release typically exclude withdrawals as they are not a substantive decision. However, if withdrawals are included, the grant rate for Albanian cases in the year ending June 2023 would be 4% rather than 19% (and for other nationalities, 61% rather than 77%).

Whilst around one-fifth of Albanian asylum applications were granted in the year ending June 2023, these cases have been awaiting a decision for some time and will not reflect the significant number of Albanians who arrived on small boats over the last year.

6.3 Appeals against initial decisions

Appeals data for April to June 2023 was not available at the time of data extraction for this release due to ongoing work on a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration system statistics release. The data below is the most recent available, to March 2023.

Some initial decisions (mainly, but not entirely, refusals) will go on to be appealed. Appeals against an initial decision made by the Home Office will be considered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), part of the Ministry of Justice.

There were 4,300 appeals lodged on initial decisions in the year ending March 2023, 15% more than in the year ending March 2022 and the first year-on-year increase since 2018.

Of the appeals determined in the year ending March 2023, around half (53%) were allowed (meaning the Home Office was asked to reconsider their decision). The proportion of appeals allowed has risen from 29% in 2010.

6.4 Final outcomes, following appeal

Final outcomes data relates to the previous calendar year to allow time for initial and final decisions to be made on this cohort of applications. Final outcomes data for 2022 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.

The grants and refusals referred to in previous sections relate to the outcome at initial decision. Final grant rate will be higher than the grant rate at initial decision, as an asylum application outcome may change following appeal; this section shows these subsequent outcomes following an appeal. Further submissions from applicants post-appeal can also change outcomes, but these are not reflected in this section.

As at the end of June 2023, of those who applied for asylum in 2022 (81,130 applications), 7% had received an initial decision. Of these 5,581 initial decisions, 3,542 applications were granted protection or another form of leave, resulting in a grant rate of 63%. 67,095 applications were still awaiting an initial decision (83%). 8,454 applications (10%) were withdrawn, of which 63% applications were from Albanians and 11% from Indians.

Of those applications received between 2018 and 2020, 56% were granted at initial decision. Of those who were refused asylum at initial decision, around half (52%) lodged an appeal against the decision. Of the appeals lodged, just under half (45%) of appeals were allowed and just over half (55%) were dismissed. As a result, the final grant rate for all applications for asylum made between 2018 and 2020 increased from 56% at initial decision to 66% following appeal.

The overall grant rate where a final outcome has been reached was estimated to be 27% in 2004; but this proportion has since steadily increased, reaching 71% for applications made in 2019. The estimated grant rate for 2021 is currently 77%, however the proportion of applications awaiting an outcome (either an initial decision or an appeal) is much higher for more recent years as less time has elapsed for the cases to be completed, making any comment on the overall trend for these years provisional.

The UK government provides a variety of safe and legal (humanitarian) entry routes to the UK for people in need of protection, along with their family members.

The latest available published statistics show that in the 8 years from 2015 to June 2023, over half a million (533,449) people were offered safe and legal (humanitarian) routes under the following schemes:

  • 260,362 visas have been granted under the Ukraine Visa and Extension Schemes as of the end of June 2023 – of which 233,771 were granted under the Ukraine Visa Schemes (of whom at least 179,500 are known to have arrived in the UK as of 30 June 2023), and 26,591 visas were granted under the Ukraine Extension Schemes to individuals already in the UK
  • 176,407 Hong Kong BN(O) visas have been granted as of the end of June 2023, 147,649 of which were granted to those out-of-country (123,800 people are known to have arrived in the UK following an out-of-country grant)
  • 50,169 people have been resettled or relocated, of which 21,526 were through ACRS and ARAP as of the end of June 2023
  • 46,511 family reunion visas have been granted to family members of refugees as of the end of June 2023

More information on the Ukraine visas schemes can be found in the ‘Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK’ chapter and the weekly ‘Ukraine Visa Schemes: visa data’ publication.

Further statistics on the ‘Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) route’ (including applications to enter or remain in the UK, decisions on those applications and number of arrivals to the UK) are included in the ‘How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)’ chapter of this statistics release.

More detailed information on resettlement is provided in Section 7.1 below.

Source: Asylum and resettlement summary tables – Asy_11

Notes:

  1. Includes main applicants and dependants.
  2. The Ukraine Scheme visas include visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme which launched 4 March 2022, and the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme which launched 18 March 2022.
  3. Hong Kong BN(O) visa scheme was launched on 31 January 2021.
  4. Resettlement includes the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship Scheme, Mandate Scheme, Gateway Protection Programme, Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme, and Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. Not all of these schemes have been active throughout the entire period.
  5. The ARAP was launched April 2021, and the ACRS was launched 6 January 2022. ACRS figures include ACRS Pathway 1, Pathway 2 and Pathway 3.
  6. ‘Visas granted’ data provides an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK rather than actual arrivals. Individuals can arrive at any time during the period that the visa is valid.

7.1 Resettlement

The resettlement figures in this release include individuals resettled under ‘Pathway 1’, ‘Pathway 2’ and ‘Pathway 3’ of the Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), and those relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), as well as other pre-existing resettlement schemes. For simplicity, this release uses the term ‘resettlement’ when referring to the total number of individuals under both the ACRS and ARAP schemes.

The total number of people evacuated from Afghanistan (arrivals) is higher than the total people shown under the Afghan schemes in this release, as not all those evacuated required resettlement (for example, British citizens or those with settled status). Afghan Resettlement Programme: Operational Data provides further information on total arrivals.

ACRS data relates to those resettled on Pathways 1, 2 and 3.

There were 3,408 people resettled in the year ending June 2023, 83% fewer than in the year ending June 2022 when 20,438 people were resettled, most following evacuation from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

In the year ending June 2023:

  • 75% (2,570) of resettled refugees arrived through Afghan schemes, and 18% (622) through the UK Resettlement Scheme
  • the most common nationalities of those resettled in the year ending June 2023 were Afghan (74%, largely through Afghan schemes), Syrian (11%, top nationality arriving through the UK Resettlement Scheme) and Sudanese (4%, second most common nationality arriving through the UK Resettlement Scheme)

Since their first arrivals in 2021, the Afghan schemes have resettled a total of 21,526 people while the UK Resettlement scheme resettled 2,307 refugees.

Between 2015 and June 2023, the UK resettled a total of 50,169 individuals, or around 6,200 per calendar year on average. The number of people brought to the UK through a resettlement scheme increased in 2016 to around 5,000 per year (following the introduction of the new resettlement schemes for Syrians). Numbers resettled remained around this level until March 2020, when resettlement activity was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resettlement increased again in 2021 to 18,236 following the resettlement and relocation of people from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

More information about current and previous resettlement schemes can be found in the user guide.

8. International comparisons

8.1 International comparisons for asylum

The numbers below are published by Eurostat and 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.  As Eurostat figures combine main applicants and dependants, UK statistics are presented in the same way in this section.

In the year ending March 2023 (the latest available Eurostat data, as of July 2023), there were 1.33 million people claiming asylum in the EU+, an increase of 41% compared to the previous year. The UK saw a similar percentage increase in the number of people claiming asylum (44%) over the same period.

In the year ending March 2023, Germany received the highest number of asylum applicants (374,765) in the EU+, followed by France (204,645) and Spain (152,930) (see Figure 7).

When compared with other European countries in the year ending March 2023, the UK received the sixth largest number of applicants (99,388 – including both main applicants and dependants). This equates to 7% of the total asylum applicants across the EU+ and UK combined over that period, but the 21st largest intake when measured ‘per head of population’.

Figure 7: The number of asylum applicants to the UK and the top 3 countries in the EU+, year ending March 2019 to year ending March 20231, 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 March 2023.
  2. Includes main applicants and dependants.
  3. Data for the UK is sourced from Home Office data.

The EU+ and the UK received 50,843 applications from UASCs in the year ending March 2023. The UK received the third largest intake of UASC applications in the EU+ and UK, with 5,478 applications in the year ending March 2023 (11% of all UASC applications in the EU+ and UK). Austria received the highest number with 12,440 (24%) applications, and Germany second with 10,180 (20%).

8.2 International comparisons for resettlement

International comparisons should be made with caution as available data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) relates only to UNHCR resettlement schemes (therefore excludes cases relocated or resettled to the UK under ARAP and ACRS ‘Pathway 1’). International resettlement data is sourced from UNHCR, and are accurate as of August 2023.

In 2022, the UK resettled nearly 1,200 individuals under UNHCR resettlement schemes, ranking ninth globally for those schemes counted by UNHCR in that period. Between 2015 and 2022, the UK resettled over 28,000 individuals under UNHCR resettlement schemes – the fifth largest number in the world (after the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Australia).

9. About the statistics

This section provides information on those applying for and granted protection in the UK through both asylum and safe and legal (humanitarian) routes, including resettlement. Further data relating to asylum and resettlement 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 resettlement and support, broken down by local authority, can help local authorities understand the demands on their services and resources to aid with planning.

The majority of asylum and resettlement data is extracted from the new database Atlas. Data is transitioning from Case Information Database (CID) to Atlas in stages and therefore published numbers may be revised in future quarters following this period of change. From the February 2023 release, data from Atlas was incorporated for the first time. Ongoing data quality checks do not at present suggest any large impacts from these changes will be apparent.

9.1 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.

Provisions within the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA), which came into force on 28 June 2022, set out the framework to differentiate between 2 groups of refugees who ultimately remain in the UK: “Group 1” and “Group 2”. Section 12 of the 2022 Act outlines that individuals who come to the UK directly, claim asylum without delay, and are able to show good cause for any illegal entry or presence, will be recognised as ‘Group 1 refugees’. Those who fail to meet one or more of these requirements will be ‘Group 2 refugees’ and may be given lesser entitlements as a result.

However, the differentiation policy was paused in the July 2023 Immigration Rules changes. This means we have stopped taking grouping decisions under the differentiated asylum system and those individuals who are successful in their asylum application, including those who are granted humanitarian protection, will receive the same conditions.

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 for April to June 2023 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 are not available for 2022 onwards 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

9.2 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 do not show the length of time for which someone receives support or the amount of support they receive.

9.3 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 inadmissibility is taken from internal Home Office management information and should be considered provisional. The data covers the following:

  1. ‘Identified for consideration’, is where an asylum case might be suitable for a refusal on inadmissibility grounds. Case working teams will review available information to determine whether a case may be appropriate for decisions under the third country inadmissibility provisions in the Immigration Rules. If they assess that inadmissibility action might be appropriate, they will issue an individual with a ‘notice of intent’.
  2. ‘Notice of intent issued’, is an information letter to the claimant, to inform them that their claim is being considered under inadmissibility rules. It is not a formal decision.
  3. ‘Inadmissibility decision served’ and ‘Removals’, if the case meets the inadmissibility requirements, and another country accepts the applicants return the Home Office will treat the asylum application as inadmissible under the inadmissibility rules and arrange the return. The returns figures include all enforced removals of those entering the inadmissibility process. Some of these removals may have been for reasons other than inadmissibility. For the total number of asylum-related returns (beyond those in the inadmissibility process), see the Returns summary table Ret_05.
  4. ‘Subsequently admitted into UK asylum process’, following consideration on inadmissibility grounds, where there is insufficient evidence to meet the requirements of the inadmissibility rules, or another country has not accepted responsibility for the claim within a reasonable timescale, then the asylum claim will be fully considered in the UK. Cases are counted in our total asylum applications when they initially submit their application, and they are not counted again if they later get subsequently admitted into the UK asylum process following consideration on inadmissibility grounds.

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.

Ukraine visa schemes

More information on the Ukraine visas schemes can be found in the ‘Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK’ chapter and the weekly ‘Ukraine Visa Schemes: visa data’ publication.

Hong Kong BN(O)s

Further statistics on the ‘Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) route’ (including applications to enter or remain in the UK, decisions on those applications and number of arrivals to the UK) are included in the ‘How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)’ chapter of this statistics release.

Resettlement and relocation

Refugees in other countries can also be given protection in the UK via resettlement schemes. The UK works with the UN Refugee Agency (the ‘UNHCR’) to arrange for the transfer of refugees from an asylum country to the UK, with the aim of ultimately granting them permanent residence. The statistics in this release do not include all resettlement of Afghan staff (and their families) who have supported British efforts in Afghanistan, since 2013. This release includes data on resettlement through ‘Pathway 1’, ‘Pathway 2’ and ‘Pathway 3’ of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). For further information, see the ‘Home Office Afghan resettlement and immigration policy statement’.

Family reunion

A family reunion visa allows partners and children of those previously granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to reunite with them here.

9.5 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.

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

Additional data relating to asylum, protection and resettlement published in earlier Immigration System Statistics releases include:

Further links:

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.

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