By Esme Kirk-Wade,

Cassie Barton Asylum statistics

1 September 2025

Summary
1 Background
2 Asylum in the United Kingdom
3 Resettlement
4 Asylum in the European Union
5 Channel crossings
Appendix: Data table

commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Number SN01403 Asylum statistics

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Asylum statistics

Contents

Summary 4

1 Background 7

1.1 What is asylum? 7

1.2 Who is an asylum seeker? 7
1.3 What percentage of migrants are asylum seekers? 8
1.4 Sources of asylum statistics 8
1.5 What about resettled refugees? 9
1.6 Ukrainian refugees 9

2 Asylum in the United Kingdom 12

2.1 Asylum applications and initial decisions 12

2.2 Final outcomes of asylum applications 15
2.3 Asylum appeals 17
2.4 The total asylum caseload 18
2.5 Where do asylum seekers come from? 19
2.6 Grants of refugee status by nationality 20
2.7 How long do asylum applications take? 23
2.8 How many dependents accompany asylum seekers? 24
2.9 Where do asylum seekers live? 24

3 Resettlement 27

3.1 What is resettlement? 27

3.2 How many people are resettled to the UK? 28

4 Asylum in the European Union 31

4.1 Asylum applications in EU countries 31

4.2 From where do asylum seekers come to the EU? 33
4.3 Grants of asylum in EU countries 34

5 Channel crossings 37

Appendix: Data table 39

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Asylum statistics

Summary

Asylum is protection given by a country to someone fleeing from persecution

in their own country. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for
asylum and is awaiting a decision on whether they will be granted refugee
status.

An asylum applicant who does not qualify for refugee status may still be
granted leave to remain in the UK for humanitarian or other reasons. An
asylum seeker whose application is refused at initial decision may appeal the
decision through an appeal process and, if successful, may be granted leave
to remain.

Asylum applications
• In 2024, 84,200 applications for asylum were made in the UK, which
related to 108,100 individuals (more than one applicant can be included
in a single application). This was the highest annual number of
applications and applicants ever recorded.

• The latest available data shows a further increase in the number of

asylum applications to 88,700 in the year to June 2025, relating to
111,100 people.

• The number of asylum applications has been high by historical standards

in each of the past three years.

• The last time asylum applications were this high before that was in 2002,
when 84,100 applications were made. After that the number fell sharply
to reach a twenty-year low point of 17,900 in 2010. Between 2011 and
2020, it was relatively consistent at an average of 27,500 applications
per year.

Proportion of all migrants who are asylum seekers and refugees

• In 2024, asylum seekers and refugees made up around 13% of
immigrants to the UK. If including the Hong Kong British National
(Overseas) scheme in the category of humanitarian routes, up to 15% of
immigration in that year would fall into that category.

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Asylum statistics

Decisions and refusals

• Not all asylum applications are successful. In 2024, 47% were granted at
initial decision (not counting withdrawals or ‘administrative outcomes’).
The annual grant rate was lowest in 2004 (12%) and highest in recent
times in 2022 (76%).

• When an application is refused at initial decision, it may be appealed.

Between 2004 and 2021, around three-quarters (76%) of main applicants
refused asylum at initial decision lodged an appeal and around a third
(33%) of determined appeals were allowed.

Asylum caseload
• As of June 2024, the total ‘work in progress’ asylum caseload consisted
of 224,700 cases. Of these, 87,200 cases were awaiting an initial decision
and 137,500 cases had received an initial refusal and were awaiting some
kind of further action.

• The total asylum caseload has quadrupled in size since 2014, driven both
by applicants waiting longer for an initial decision and a growth in the
number of people subject to removal action following a negative
decision.

Small boats
• The number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the Channel
has increased in recent years, from being a route which was almost
never used prior to 2018. Between then and the end of June 2025, around
168,000 people arrived in small boats, 95% of whom applied for asylum.

• These individuals accounted for nearly one third (30%) of the total
number of people who applied for asylum in the UK between 2018 and the
end of June 2025.

Nationality of asylum seekers and refugees

• In 2024, the most common origin region of asylum seekers was Asia and
the most common single nationality was Pakistani, followed by Afghan. In
previous recent years, the Middle East was the most common origin
region, with Syrian and Iranian the most common nationalities.

Resettlement schemes and Ukrainian refugees

In addition to the asylum process, the UK operates various routes for people
seeking humanitarian protection to be granted status outside of the UK and
then, in some cases, assisted in travelling to the UK.

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Asylum statistics

• Between 2021 and the end of June 2025, around 35,700 people had been
resettled or relocated under the Afghan Resettlement Programme.

• Since 2014, a further 30,800 people were resettled through other

schemes. Around 20,000 of these were Syrians resettled between 2014
and 2020.

• In 2022, two new visa routes were introduced for Ukrainians. As of the
end of June 2025, around 227,000 people had arrived under these routes.
This flow was much larger in scale than any other single forced migration
flow to the UK in recent history. The number of Ukrainian refugees who
arrived in the UK in 2022 was equivalent to the number of people granted
refuge in the UK from all origins, in total, between 2014 and 2021.

European context
• In 2024, there were around 16 asylum applications for every 10,000
people living in the UK. Across the EU27 there were 22 asylum
applications for every 10,000 people.

• The UK was therefore below the average among EU countries for asylum
applications per head of population, ranking 14th among EU27 countries
plus the UK on this measure.

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 Asylum statistics

1 Background

1.1 What is asylum?

Asylum is protection given by a country to someone fleeing from persecution

in their own country. According to Article 1 of the 1951 United Nations
Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a
person who:

… owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of

race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group,
or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is
unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the
protection of that country; 1

As a signatory to the Convention, the UK grants asylum to those who meet

these criteria. The UK also adheres to the European Convention on Human
Rights, which prevents the UK from sending someone to a country where there
is a real risk they may be exposed to torture, or inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.

The UK can also grant other forms of humanitarian protection to people who
the Home Office decides need protection but who do not meet the criteria for
refugee status. Prior to 2003, such people were granted exceptional leave to
remain (ELR) and from 2004 onwards this was replaced with humanitarian
protection (HP) or discretionary leave (DL).

In this briefing, humanitarian protection is used as a catch-all term for

asylum and these other forms of leave, unless specified otherwise.

1.2 Who is an asylum seeker?

An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for asylum and is awaiting a
decision on whether they will be granted refugee status. An asylum applicant
who does not qualify for refugee status may still be granted leave to remain in
the UK for humanitarian or other reasons.

1
UNHCR, United Nations Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, Article 1. The UK
signed the Refugee Convention in 1954 and the Protocol in 1967.

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 Asylum statistics

An asylum seeker whose application is refused at initial decision may appeal

the decision through an appeals process. Asylum applicants initially refused
refugee status may be granted leave to remain following an appeal.

1.3 What percentage of migrants are asylum

seekers?

A long-term international migrant is someone who changes their country of

usual residence for a period of at least a year. The Office for National
Statistics (ONS) estimates that 948,000 people migrated to the UK in 2024
(according to provisional estimates published in May 2025). 2

The ONS’s figures include estimates of the number of asylum applicants,

Ukrainian arrivals and resettled persons. Combined, these figures account for
around 13% of total immigration (approximately 125,000 people). 3

The British National (Overseas) route, available to people from Hong Kong
who have British National (Overseas) – ‘BN(O)’ – status and their close family
members, is sometimes referred to as a humanitarian scheme, although
BN(O) visa holders do not have the status of refugees. Including the 21,000
BN(O) visa holders estimated to have arrived in that year would mean that up
to 15% of immigration (around 146,000 individuals) consisted of people
arriving under ‘humanitarian’ routes. 4

More detailed and up-to-date figures on asylum and resettlement from the
Home Office are discussed in sections 2 and 3 of this briefing.

1.4 Sources of asylum statistics

Statistics on asylum seekers and refugees in the UK are published by the

Home Office in their quarterly immigration statistics. 5 These statistics contain
data on the number of people applying for asylum and the outcomes of
asylum applications.

Home Office statistics distinguish between the number of main applicants for
asylum, which represents the asylum caseload, and the number of main
applicants and dependants, which represents the number of people covered
by asylum applications.

2
ONS, Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2024, 25 May 2025

4
As above
5
Home Office, Immigration statistics quarterly release

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 Asylum statistics

Statistics on asylum seekers and refugees in European Union countries are

published by Eurostat, and by the United Nations High Commissioner for
refugees (UNHCR) in its annual Global Trends report.

1.5 What about resettled refugees?

Resettled people are granted refugee status or another form of humanitarian

protection by the UK while abroad and then brought to live in the UK.

The UK has, historically, introduced specific resettlement schemes in response

to humanitarian crises. From 2014 onwards, the UK began resettling Syrians
under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), with the aim of
resettling 20,000 by 2020.

Given the scale of the VPRS (and other resettlement schemes currently in
place), resettled people made up 21% (around one in five) of those granted
refuge in the UK between 2014 and 2020.

In 2021, around 16,400 people were relocated from Afghanistan to the UK,
making up over half (50%) of those granted humanitarian protection in the
UK in that year. 6

As of June 2025, around 35,700 people had been admitted to the UK under the
Afghan Resettlement Programme, which consisted of three main schemes:
the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme (ARAP), the Afghan
Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and the Afghanistan Response Route
(ARR). 7 All Afghanistan schemes were closed to new applicants in July 2025. 8

Statistics on resettled people are usually presented separately to statistics on

the UK’s in-country asylum process.

1.6 Ukrainian refugees

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched military action in Ukraine, which

developed into a full-scale assault on the country through 2022 and beyond.
As of July 2025, 5.1 million Ukrainian refugees were recorded across Europe. 9
The UK established two new visa routes for Ukrainian refugees to come to the
UK in March 2022: the Sponsorship Scheme (‘Homes for Ukraine’) and the
Ukraine Family Scheme. Later in May 2022 it established the Ukraine

6
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, tables Res_D02, Asy_D02 and Asy_D07
7
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, tables Res_D02
8
Home Office, Afghan Resettlement Programme, 23 July 2025
9
UNCHR data portal, Ukraine refugee situation [accessed 27 August 2025]

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Asylum statistics

Extension Scheme, to enable Ukrainians who were already living in the UK to

stay while it remained unsafe to return to Ukraine.
The Home Office used to publish weekly figures on applications, visas issued
and arrivals under these schemes, up until 1 April 2025. It now publishes a
summary of this data in its Immigration system statistics quarterly bulletin.
The scale of the influx of refugees from Ukraine to the UK is unprecedented. In
2022, 210,000 visas were granted and 155,000 people arrived in the UK under
the two new visa schemes. 10 This was the largest single group of refugees to
arrive in the UK in its history.

The chart below summarises the data on the operation of the Homes for
Ukraine and the Ukraine Family schemes from 2022 up to June 2025. As of the
end of June 2025, around 362,000 applications had been received, 274,000
visas had been issued, and 227,000 people had arrived in the UK.

Visa applications, grants and arrivals under Homes for

Ukraine and the Ukraine Family Scheme
Cumulative totals at the end of each quarter, up to June 2025
400
Applications
Thousands

350

300 Grants
250

200 Arrivals
150

100

50

0
Q1 2022 Q3 2022 Q1 2023 Q3 2023 Q1 2024 Q3 2024 Q1 2025

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Ukraine visa scheme summary
table UVS_05

The Ukraine Family Scheme closed in February 2024, and the Ukraine
Extension Scheme closed for most new applicants in May 2024. As of
December 2024, there had been around 25,800 grants issued under the
Ukraine Extension Scheme, and 8,200 in-country permission extensions
granted to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme. 11
Visas granted under each of the Ukraine schemes mentioned above last no
longer than three years, meaning that the first tranche issued began to expire

10
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Ukraine visa scheme summary table
UVS_05
11
Home Office, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine
Extension Scheme visa data, 19 December 2024

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Asylum statistics

in March 2025. The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened in February

2025 to enable those already residing in the UK on an existing Ukraine Scheme
extend their leave to remain for a further 18 months. As of June 2025, around
81,000 extensions had been granted under this scheme. 12

Ukrainians arriving under these schemes are not included in the Home Office’s
asylum statistics, which are the main focus of this briefing. Although
Ukrainians arriving under these schemes are often referred to as refugees,
they do not have the legal status of refugees in the way that people do if they
are granted asylum in the UK or through a refugee resettlement scheme. They
derive their right to live and work in the UK from the conditions of the visa
schemes.

12
Home Office, How many people come to the UK via safe and legal (humanitarian) routes?, 21 August
2025

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2 Asylum in the United Kingdom

2.1 Asylum applications and initial decisions

The number of asylum applications to the UK initially peaked in 2002 at

84,132. After that the number fell sharply to reach a twenty-year low point of
17,916 in 2010, before rising slowly to reach 32,733 in 2015. The number fell,
then rose again and then dipped during the first year of the pandemic (2020).
It then rose sharply, reaching a record high of 84,231 applications, relating to
108,138 people, in 2024.

The latest available data shows a further increase in the number of asylum
applications to 88,738 in the year to June 2025, relating to 111,084 people. This
represents a 17% increase in applications compared with the previous year
(ending June 2024).

The first chart below shows the number of applications for asylum by main
applicants in each year from 1993 to 2024. The second shows the number of
initial decisions during the same period, broken down into asylum grants,
other grants, and refusals.

While the number of applications rose substantially in 2021 and 2022, the
number of decisions being made stayed relatively static. Decision-making
was affected by the pandemic, among other factors. Around 14,300 initial
decisions were made in 2020 and 14,500 in 2021, the lowest annual totals
since 1991. The number of initial decisions rose considerably in 2023, to the
highest level since 2003 but fell again slightly in 2024.

Asylum applications in the UK

Annual figures for main applicants only
100
Thousands

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024

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Asylum statistics

Outcome of initial decisions on asylum applications

Annual figures for main applicants only

140 Withdrawn

Thousands
Refusals
120
Other grants
100
Asylum grants
80

60

40

20

0
1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018 2023

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only. 2. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to
applications made in the same period. 3. Some people refused asylum at initial decision may be
granted leave to remain following an appeal. 4. The data shown in these charts is set out in Appendix
Table at the end of this briefing.
Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2024, tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02

The chart below shows the proportion of applications that were granted at
initial decision (excluding withdrawals and administrative outcomes) for
decisions made in each year from 1984 to 2024. The percentage of main
applicants granted asylum or another form of humanitarian leave at initial
decision reached its lowest point at 12% in 2004. It gradually increased
between then and 2018, before rising sharply from around 33% in that year to
a high of 76% in 2022. In 2024, the grant rate at initial decision was 53%.

Grant rate for initial asylum decisions

Annual figures for main applicants only
100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only. 2. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to
applications made in the same period. 3. Some people refused asylum at initial decision may be
granted leave to remain following an appeal. 4. These figures exclude withdrawals since those are not
cases of decisions being made.
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2024, table Asy_D02

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Asylum statistics

The Home Office also publishes data on applications and decisions by quarter
throughout the year. The highest number of asylum applications recorded in a
quarter was 25,283 in Q3 2022 and the lowest since the series began in 2001
was 4,382, in Q1 2010. The quarterly average since 2001 was around 10,000
applications. 13

Quarterly applications had gone down overall since the peak in 2022, but
remain substantially higher than in previous years. In Q2 2025, there were
22,164 new asylum applications.

Route of entry to the UK

A breakdown of people (both main applicants and dependents) claiming
asylum by method of entry to the UK was published for the first time in the
latest immigration statistics release for the year ending June 2025.

The chart below shows that irregular routes are the most common way for
people to enter the UK before claiming asylum, although numbers arriving via
this route have fallen from a peak of just under 68,000 in 2022. Since 2021,
irregular arrivals have primarily been driven by people arriving on small
boats. The phenomenon of asylum seekers crossing the Channel on small
boats is discussed in further detail in section 5 of this briefing.

Number of people claiming asylum by route of entry to the UK

Main applicants and dependents, years ending December 2018 to June 2025

60,000 Irregular arrivals

40,000
Visas or other
leave

20,000 Other

0
Dec 2018 Jun 2020 Dec 2021 Jun 2023 Dec 2024

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2024, table Asy_D01a

In the year to the ending June 2025:

• 50% of asylum seekers arrived via irregular routes: 39% arrived on a

small boat and a further 11% entered through other routes, such as on
lorries, shipping containers, or without relevant documentation.

13
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D01

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 Asylum statistics

• 37% of asylum seekers had previously entered the UK on a visa or other

leave.

• 13% entered via other routes (this includes children of asylum seekers or
refugees born in the UK).

The number asylum claims from people who arrived in the UK on a visa or
other leave has more than tripled over the period shown, from around 12,000
in the year ending June 2019 to 41,100 in the year ending June 2025.

2.2 Final outcomes of asylum applications

Because some asylum applicants who are initially refused asylum can appeal,
the number of applicants granted leave to remain at initial decision does not
reflect the number who are ultimately successful. For this reason, the Home
Office publishes data on the final outcomes of asylum applications, which
shows the outcomes for cohorts of asylum seekers applying in each year.
Because it can take longer than a year for an asylum case to reach its final
outcome, this data lags behind the data on initial decisions.

The table below shows the final outcomes for main applicants applying for
asylum in each year from 2006 to 2023. This includes cases where the final
outcome is not yet known (there are more of these cases in the most recent
years).

Over this period, the grant rate for asylum cases when based on the latest
decision received, including appeals and reviews, has increased. This reflects
appeals and reviews, as well as initial decisions. In 2020 and 2021, around
three quarters of decided asylum claims resulted in a grant of asylum or other
leave. The grant rates for recent years are lower as there has been less time
for appeals and reviews to be concluded. Final grant rates following appeal
will likely be higher.

The data is illustrated in the charts below, the first of which shows the number
of main applicants for asylum in each year by final outcome, while the second
shows the percentage of all cases with a known outcome that were either
grants of protection, were refused, withdrawn, or that had received an
‘administrative outcome’.

The percentage of cases with a known outcome which were withdrawn has
increased over this period, from its lowest point of 5% in 2006 to 23% in 2022.

As of June 2024 (the latest data available), around 32% of applications

lodged in 2023 had a known outcome. Of these, 20% were granted asylum or

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Asylum statistics

another form of humanitarian protection, 33% were refused, 22% were

withdrawn, and 26% had received ‘administrative outcomes’. 14

Final outcomes of asylum applications, as of June 2024

Main applicants only, by year of application

90
Outcome not

Thousands
80
known
70
Administrative
60 outcome
50
Withdrawn
40
30 Refused
20
10 Granted asylum or
0 other leave
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2024, table Asy_D04
Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only. 2. Year relates to the period in which the application was
made. 3. Excludes cases which were successful after appeal to the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration
and Asylum Chamber.

Final outcomes of asylum applications, as of June 2024

Main applicants only, by year of application

100%
Outcome not
90%
known
80%
70% Administrative
60% outcome
50% Withdrawn
40%
30% Refused
20%
10%
Granted asylum
0%
or other leave
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2024, table Asy_D04
Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only. 2. Year relates to the period in which the application was
made. 3. Excludes cases which were successful after appeal to the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration
and Asylum Chamber.

14
Administrative outcomes includes “suspended and void cases, cases where the applicant became
deceased prior to decision and other administrative outcomes.

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 Asylum statistics

Final outcomes of asylum applications made in each year

As of June 2024
Granted Administra- Grant
Main asylum or tive Outcome rate
Year applicants other leave Refused Withdrawn outcome not known (latest)

2006 23,617 12,301 7,072 1,039 2,617 588 63%

2007 23,432 10,271 10,140 2,102 613 306 50%
2008 25,933 11,669 10,327 3,358 238 341 53%
2009 24,487 11,015 9,917 2,972 210 373 53%
2010 17,916 7,783 7,825 1,882 178 248 50%
2011 19,865 9,255 8,139 2,052 157 262 53%
2012 21,843 10,217 8,728 2,545 181 172 54%
2013 23,584 11,255 9,291 2,558 245 235 55%
2014 25,033 14,248 8,133 2,215 197 240 64%
2015 32,733 18,689 10,469 2,975 329 271 64%
2016 30,747 15,451 11,099 3,486 319 392 58%
2017 26,547 13,507 8,604 3,618 357 461 61%
2018 29,504 17,051 7,215 4,321 404 513 70%
2019 35,737 20,171 7,738 6,440 586 802 72%
2020 29,815 17,625 5,704 4,547 1,177 762 76%
2021 50,042 27,227 9,560 7,887 3,051 2,317 74%
2022 81,130 30,739 18,706 18,142 12,079 1,464 62%
2023 72,464 4,586 7,795 5,047 5,982 49,054 37%

Notes: Administrative outcomes includes “suspended and void cases, cases where the applicant
became deceased prior to decision and other administrative outcomes.” Figures are for cases, i.e. main
applicants without counting dependents. The grant rate is the proportion of decisions (grants and
refusals) which result in a grant of protection or other leave. It excludes withdrawals and administrative
outcomes. The grant rates are based on cases with known outcomes and will change over time as more
cases reach initial decision and conclusion.
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2024, table Asy_D04

2.3 Asylum appeals

Home Office data on the outcomes of asylum applications also shows the
number of main applicants for asylum in each year that are refused at initial
decision and go on to appeal.

The table below shows the number of main applicants for asylum in each year
from 2004 to 2021, the number of these that were refused at initial decision,
the number of those refused that appealed, and the number given each
outcome, where the outcome is known.

In the period from 2004 to 2021, around three-quarters (76%) of main

applicants refused asylum at initial decision lodged an appeal and around a
third (33%) of determined appeals were allowed. The proportion of
determined appeals that were allowed increased between 2004 and 2020.

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 Asylum statistics

Appeal outcomes of asylum applications made in each year

As of June 2022
Initially Appeal outcomes % of
refused Appeal determined
Main asylum/ Appeals Appeals Appeals Appeals outcome appeals
Year applicants protection lodged allowed dismissed withdrawn not known allowed

2004 33,960 27,273 21,284 3,950 16,507 766 61 19%

2005 25,712 19,243 14,277 3,032 10,599 523 123 22%
2006 23,608 16,473 11,589 2,567 8,416 497 109 23%
2007 23,431 14,932 10,660 2,292 7,583 415 370 23%
2008 25,932 15,207 12,184 3,168 8,237 507 272 28%
2009 24,487 15,450 13,254 4,000 8,582 509 163 32%
2010 17,916 11,597 9,324 2,500 6,240 445 139 29%
2011 19,865 11,556 9,189 2,529 5,906 629 125 30%
2012 21,843 12,132 9,057 2,712 5,595 627 123 33%
2013 23,584 13,023 9,801 3,121 6,071 532 77 34%
2014 25,033 12,693 10,204 4,044 5,557 497 106 42%
2015 32,733 17,633 14,497 6,202 7,394 828 73 46%
2016 30,747 17,792 14,104 5,858 7,616 582 48 43%
2017 26,547 14,882 11,499 4,798 5,990 626 85 44%
2018 29,504 11,620 8,354 3,414 4,138 585 217 45%
2019 35,737 8,555 5,164 1,896 2,224 558 486 46%
2020 29,815 4,972 1,020 278 332 148 262 46%
2021 50,042 353 73 9 30 6 28 23%

Notes: These figures are from an earlier version of the dataset used to produce the tables in the
previous section, so they reflect a snapshot of the outcome of these cases at an earlier point in time.
The Home Office did not publish an updated version of these appeal figures in its latest update to this
outcomes data. The ‘% of appeals allowed’ figure is the proportion of determined appeals (allowed or
dismissed) which were allowed.
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2022 [Archived], table Asy_D04

2.4 The total asylum caseload

One way of understanding the full scale of the asylum caseload is to look at
the Home Office’s asylum ‘work in progress’ statistics. These are published
once a year in its Migration Transparency data collection. 15 As of June 2024,
there were 224,742 cases in the system. This was the highest since the series
began (in 2011) and four times the number there had been in 2014.
In the latest update to this series, the work in progress caseload is split into
two components: cases awaiting an initial decision (around 87,000) and
cases which are ‘post decision’ (around 138,000). The post decision category
includes cases awaiting the outcome of an appeal and cases where the
refused applicant is subject to removal action, among other types of case
which have already received an initial decision. In previous editions, as the

15
The work in progress statistics can be found in table ASY_03 of ‘Immigration & Protection data’.

18 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

chart below shows, the statistics included a more detailed breakdown of the
post-decision caseload.

UK asylum 'work in progress' caseload

Snapshot at end of June each year
250
Other post

Thousands
decision
200 Total post-
Subject to decision
removal
150
Appeal
100 outstanding

50 Awaiting
initial
decision
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Source: Home Office, Migration transparency data, Immigration and protection data: Q2 2024, table ASY_03
Notes: Other post decision prior to 2023 includes ‘Post decision’ and ‘On hold’.

Cases where the applicant is subject to removal action are those in which an
individual has exhausted the main avenues of appeal against an initial refusal
and has been told to leave the UK or be subject to enforced removal. As of
June 2023, there were 41,200 people in this cohort, nearly double the number
there had been in 2014. Even when refused asylum seekers are subject to
removal action, there may be barriers which prevent their return from the UK.

2.5 Where do asylum seekers come from?

The largest individual nationalities among people who claimed asylum (main
applicants only) in the year to June 2025 were Pakistani (9%), Afghan (8%),
Eritrean (8%), Iranian (7%), and Sudanese (5%). 16

The chart below shows calendar year data on the nationality of asylum
seekers grouped by world region.

In 2024, 42% were nationals of Asian countries, with the largest individual
Asian nationalities being Pakistani, Afghan, Bangladeshi, and Indian. The next
largest regional groupings of nationalities were African (21%), Middle Eastern
(18%) and European (13%). 17 Around 6% of main applicants were from
countries in the Americas, Oceania, and other parts of the world.

16
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D01
17
Afghanistan is included in figures for Asia, while Iran is included in the Middle East.

19 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

Nationality of asylum applicants

Main applicants only, by year of application
Africa Americas Asia Europe Middle East Oceania and other
90

Thousands
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only.

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2024, table Asy_D01

2.6 Grants of refugee status by nationality

Grants of asylum or another form of humanitarian leave to remain by

nationality follow a slightly different pattern to applications. This is partly due
to a time lag between applications and decisions and partly because
acceptance rates are higher for some nationalities than others, in particular
years.

While most grants of refuge have historically come via the UK’s in-country
asylum process, others have come via resettlement schemes or ad hoc
humanitarian routes.

A notable flow in recent years has been 20,300 Syrians resettled via the
Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) between 2014 and 2020.
Smaller numbers of people from other nationalities are also resettled each
year under the UK’s resettlement schemes, which are described in more detail
in section 3.

In 2021, around 15,000 Afghans were relocated to the UK in advance of and

during the withdrawal of UK forces from Afghanistan and, as of June 2025,
around 35,000 Afghans have been resettled or relocated under the Afghan
Resettlement Programme. 18

In 2022, two new routes were introduced for Ukrainians and, as of December
2024, around 227,000 people had arrived through these. 19 This flow was much

18
Not all people resettled to the UK through the Afghan Resettlement Programme have Afghan
nationality. Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2024, table Asy_D02
19
The Ukraine visa schemes allow certain non-Ukrainian nationals to come to the UK, primarily those
who are immediate family members of Ukrainian nationals, meaning some of these people may not
be Ukrainian nationals. However, it is not possible to identify the nationality of these visa holders
from published data. Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2024, table UVS_05

20 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

larger in scale than any other single forced migration flow to the UK in recent
history. The number of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in the UK in 2022
(155,000) was around the same as the number of people granted refuge in the
UK from all origins, in total, between 2014 and 2021.

The diagram overleaf is a stylised representation of the number of grants of

status, by nationality, in each year between 1989 and 2024. The chart flows
horizontally from left to right, with an individual ‘stream’ for each nationality.
Not all nationalities are shown; only those with high numbers of grants.
Ukrainians cannot be shown on the chart because the volume of that flow is
so much larger than any of the others.

21 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Afghanistan

Iraq

Which countries do refugees come to the UK from?

Somalia

This chart shows the number of grants of asylum or other forms of humanitarian protection, by refugees' country of origin, in each year since 1989. The height of each
'stream' represents the number of grants of asylum to that nationality in a given year. In each year, the streams are ranked from top to bottom, by number of grants.
Not all nationalities are shown.
Following the Russian invasion, 155,000 Ukrainians arrived
Former Yugoslavia
Iranians began seeking asylum abroad following the 1979 in the UK in 2022 under two bespoke schemes, and a further
2001 saw the most grants through the UK's in-country Revolution and the ensuing political and cultural changes. 65,000 in the years since. This 'wave' is not shown because
asylum system (31,600) up until that point, mainly to The present flow (around 1,300 grants per year since 2010) is the chart would need to be more than three times this size.
Zimbabwe
Conflict in Sri Lanka, beginning in people from Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iraq. This peak motivated by similar factors.
the early 1980s, led to 15,000 was surpassed in 2023 (49,900 asylum grants and Sri Lanka
asylum seekers and their Around 32,000 Afghans have been
4,400 people resettled). Between 1995 and 2000, the UK granted asylum to
dependents being granted asylum Iran resettled to the UK since 2021,
5,600 Afghans. With the escalation of conflict, this Prior to 2011, virtually no one from Syria following the withdrawal of
in the UK, mainly between 1991-93 sought asylumTurkey
in the UK. Between 2011 and
and 1999-2002. The break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992 number rose to 9,800 in 2001 and 4,900 in 2002. allied forces and the
2021, nearly 31,000 Syrians were granted resurgence of
coincided with and led to a series of
asylum, fleeing conflict. Most were resettled the Taliban.
conflicts in the Balkans. Waves of refugees In 2002, one third of asylum grants went to Iraqis. directly from third countries such as
came to the UK between 1992-1995 Afghan-
Iraq
Most Iraqi refugees were granted asylum prior to Turkey and Lebanon.
(Bosnians) and 1999-2001 (Serbians and istan
the military intervention in Iraq in 2003.
Iran
Sri Lanka Montenegrins). Afghanistan

Somalia Zimbabwe
Syria
Former Iran Eritrea Iran
Somalia Yugo- Eritrea
slavia Sudan
Vietnam Somalia
Ethiopia Former Yugoslavia
Zimbabwe Afghanistan
Pakistan Eritrea

Turkey Sudan Ethiopia

Iraq
DR Congo
Uganda Somalia Syria
Iran Sri
Lanka
Sierra
Leone
Eritreans were the largest group granted asylum in the
Sudan
Iran UK between 2006 and 2008 and in 2014. Indefinite
Nearly 47,000 Somalis plus their
Around 20,000 DR Congo military conscription and political oppression are Sudanese were the second largest nationality
dependants have been granted asylum
Vietnamese refugees among the reasons given for seeking asylum. granted asylum in 2015 (2,300 grants). Iraq
since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.
were resettled in the Armed conflict between the Government and
The largest waves came in 1996 after El Pakistan
UK in the 1980s and rebels is among the reasons for Sudanese
the withdrawal of the UN's peace- In 2001, over 2,000 Zimbabweans were Salvador
early 1990s under the UNHCR's
keeping mission and in 2000, following granted asylum in the UK following political seeking asylum abroad.
'Orderly Departure Programme'.
a change of government. unrest and land seizures from White farmers.

These bars show the total number of grants per year.

The darker bar shows grants to people from countries other than those
in the chart above.

Technical notes: Grants here includes 1) grants of refugee status (under the 1951 UN Convention and 1967 Protocol) on initial decision, 2) grants of other humanitarian leave to enter and/or remain in the UK, and 3) people resettled to the UK under
specific schemes. Humanitarian protection includes exceptional leave (ELR) (pre-2004), and humanitarian protection (HP) and discretionary leave to remain (DLR) (2004 onwards). Resettled people includes those resettled under the Orderly Departure
Programme, the Mandate Scheme, the Gateway Protection Programme, the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, and the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme. 'Refugees' here encompasses those granted other forms of humanitarian leave.
'Country of origin' is used synonymously with nationality. Source: Home O�ce, Asylum statistics 1997, 2007 (archived): tables 3.1 and 3.2. Home O�ce, Immigration statistics quarterly: table Asy_D02 (formerly tables as_05 and as_19_q).
 Asylum statistics

2.7 How long do asylum applications take?

There are different measures of the time it takes to process asylum

applications and the backlog of cases that has built up. Two measures that
have been the focus of attention in recent years are the number of asylum
applications awaiting an initial decision and the number of cases awaiting
conclusion.

In June 2010, the Home Office introduced a new time series for measuring the
backlog of asylum applications, based on the UK Border Agency (UKBA)
administrative database. This new series counts the number of applications
for asylum lodged since 1 April 2006 which are still under consideration at the
end of each quarter. It includes cases pending an initial decision (whether for
more or less than six months) and those pending further judicial appeal (up
until 2022 only), but excludes those who have lodged a judicial review.

Asylum cases awaiting a decision by length of time pending

Main applicants only, at end of June of each year
'Pending further
160 review' not included
Thousands

Pending further review from 2023 onwards

140

120 Pending iniitial decision - more than six months

100 Pending iniitial decision - less than six months

80

60

40

20

0
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants only. 2. 'Pending' cases are those asylum applications, including
fresh claims, lodged since 1 April 2006 which are still under consideration at the end of the reference period.
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D03

As of the end of June 2025, around 70,500 asylum cases were pending an
initial decision (relating to 90,800 people). This was over three times as many
as there had been in June 2018 (22,700) but was down from the much higher
number of 134,000 at the end of June 2023.

23 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

2.8 How many dependents accompany asylum

seekers?

In the year ending June 2025, 22,346 dependants accompanied or

subsequently joined the 88,738 main applicants who made asylum claims. 20

There were roughly four main asylum applicants for every dependent.

2.9 Where do asylum seekers live?

The only data available on the location of asylum seekers is for those who are
receiving government support. Data is available by region and local
authority.

Asylum seekers who are destitute can apply to the Home Office for
accommodation or subsistence support to cover other essential living needs
(provided in the form of a weekly cash allowance), or both.

Various sections of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 give powers to
provide accommodation and subsistence support at different stages of the
asylum process:

• Section 95 covers means-tested support provided while people are

awaiting a decision on their asylum application.

• Section 98 covers temporary assistance for people who have applied for
and are awaiting a decision on whether they will receive Section 95
support.

• Section 4 support is provided to people whose asylum claims have been

finally determined as refused but who are destitute and unable to leave
the UK.

Almost all supported asylum seekers (97%) receive accommodation. 21 Those

who are provided with accommodation are not given a choice as to location
and the Home Office’s policy is to disperse them around the country.

20
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D01
21
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D11

24 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

There are three main accommodation types in which asylum seekers are
housed:

• Initial accommodation – This is temporary, short-term accommodation,

used to accommodate asylum seekers while the Home Office determines
eligibility for ongoing support and who are waiting to move to longer-
term accommodation. Initial accommodation is typically in full-board
hostel-style residences.

• Dispersal accommodation – Once an asylum seeker is found eligible for

ongoing support, they should be moved into longer term ‘dispersal’
accommodation. This typically consists of houses, flats or rooms in
houses of multiple occupations intended for long-term residence.

• Contingency accommodation – Since around 2020, limited availability of

initial and dispersal accommodation has led to an increased use of
‘contingency’ asylum accommodation, which is often provided as rooms
in hotels.

The table below shows the number of asylum seekers housed in each UK
country and region by accommodation type. This is also calculated as a rate
per 10,000 population to enable comparison between areas with different
population sizes.

Asylum seekers in receipt of accommodation support by accommodation type

By UK country / region, at end of June 2025, compared with population in 2023
Rate per
Of which: 10,000
Country / region Initial Dispersal Contingency Hotels Other Total population

North West 367 16,820 3,686 3,686 0 20,873 27.3

North East 0 6,891 326 309 0 7,217 26.5
West Midlands 98 8,930 3,913 3,913 0 12,941 21.2
London 390 4,350 11,219 10,081 0 15,959 17.7
Yorkshire and The Humber 292 6,956 2,222 2,129 0 9,470 16.9
East Midlands 204 5,142 1,755 1,755 0 7,101 14.2
Northern Ireland 45 2,228 246 246 0 2,519 13.1
Scotland 193 3,978 1,712 1,573 0 5,883 10.7
East of England 0 2,527 3,452 2,757 653 6,632 10.2
Wales 76 3,028 76 76 0 3,180 10.0
South West 0 2,262 2,132 2,132 0 4,394 7.5
South East 0 3,122 3,575 3,402 0 6,697 7.0

Total: United Kingdom 1,665 66,234 34,314 32,059 653 102,866 15.0

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D11; ONS, Mid-2023 population estimates, accessed via Nomis

25 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

At the end of June 2025:

• There were 102,900 supported asylum seekers being housed in the UK, of
whom 66,200 were living in dispersal accommodation and 36,000 were
in initial or contingency accommodation (including hotels). 22

• The North West and the North East had the highest number of housed
asylum seekers relative to their population (27.3 and 26.5 asylum seekers
for every 10,000 inhabitants respectively). In both regions, most asylum
seekers were living in dispersal accommodation.

• London also had a relatively high ratio of asylum seekers to population

(17.7 per 10,000) due to the presence of a large number of asylum
seekers in hotels. Before hotel use became common from around 2020
onwards, comparatively few asylum seekers were housed in London.

• The South East had the lowest relative number (7.0 for every 10,000
inhabitants).

• Glasgow was the local authority with the most housed asylum seekers
(3,716 or 59 per 10,000 inhabitants). Whereas Hillingdon (which housed
2,410 asylum seekers) had the highest number relative to the population
(75 per 10,000).

• 56 of 361 lower-tier local authorities listed (16%) contained no supported

asylum seekers at all.

A full list of supported asylum seekers by region and local authority can be
found in the online Annex (an Excel file), available to download from the
landing page of this briefing paper.

22
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Asy_D11. This also includes a
relatively small number receiving Section 4 support, which is available to refused asylum seekers who
would otherwise be destitute.

26 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

3 Resettlement

3.1 What is resettlement?

The previous section dealt with applications for asylum by people already in
the UK. The UK can also grant asylum or other forms of humanitarian
protection to people living outside the UK, who are then resettled to the UK.

Resettlement to the UK operates through different schemes, rather than one

overarching system:

• UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) (2021 – present)

• Community Sponsorship (2021 – present)

• Mandate Resettlement Scheme (1995 – present)

• The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (2021 –

present) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (2022 -
present)

Between 2014 and March 2021, three additional resettlement schemes

operated:

• Gateway Protection Programme (GPP) (2004 – 2020)

• Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) (2014 –

2021)

• Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) (2016 –

2021).

The UKRS and Community Sponsorship schemes are open to refugees in all
parts of the world. The Mandate Scheme is for recognised refugees, anywhere
in the world, who have a close family member in the UK willing to
accommodate them.

The VPRS was specifically for Syrian nationals and the VCRS was for children
from the Middle East and North Africa.

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 Asylum statistics

3.2 How many people are resettled to the UK?

Between 2014 and June 2025, around 30,800 people have been resettled to
the UK under the schemes listed above (excluding the Afghan schemes, which
are discussed separately at the end of this section). 23

Of those resettled since 2014, excluding Afghans, the majority (20,300 people)
came through the VPRS. The VPRS target was to resettle 20,000 Syrians by
2020. Following a temporary pause to the resettlement of refugees at the
start of the covid-19 pandemic, this target ended up being met in February
2021. 24

The VCRS aimed to resettle up to 3,000 refugee children and their families
from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020. At the end of 2020, 1,838
people had been resettled under the VCRS. 25

The GPP and Mandate schemes are the longest running resettlement
schemes.

The GPP aimed to resettle 750 refugees in the UK per year. 26 Between 2004
and 2020, almost 10,000 people were resettled under this scheme (at an
average of around 620 per year). 27

The Mandate Resettlement Scheme enables some refugees living overseas to

join family in the UK who is willing to accommodate them. The publication of
data on this scheme commenced in 2008. 28 Since then, 479 people have been
resettled via this route. 29

Historically, the UK’s policy on resettlement has been to introduce specific

resettlement schemes in response to particular humanitarian crises. The
Refugee Council offers a summary of previous resettlement schemes in the
UK:

The UK has also received refugees through specific programmes in

response to emergency situations, including 42,000 Ugandan Asians
expelled from Uganda from 1972-74, 22,500 Vietnamese displaced
persons from 1979-92, over 2,500 Bosnians in the early 1990s, and
over 4,000 Kosovars in 1999. 30

23
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Res_D02
24
UK Visas and Immigration, Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Schemes
Factsheet, 18 March 2021
25
As above
26
UNCHR, UNHCR Resettlement Handbook: Country Chapter - United Kingdom, July 2018
27
Home Office, Immigration statistics quarterly release (various editions)
28
Home Office, Safe and Legal (Humanitarian) Routes factsheet – August 2023
29
Home Office, Immigration statistics quarterly release (various editions)
30
Refugee Council, Resettling to the UK: The Gateway Protection Programme, 2004

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Asylum statistics

Calais clearance: the ‘Dubs amendment’

Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (the ‘Dubs amendment’) committed
the UK government to relocate a discretionary number of unaccompanied
asylum-seeking children from other countries in Europe. It was later
announced that the government would resettle 480 child refugees.

Home Office data shows that 220 children were initially transferred to the UK
under section 67 following the French authorities’ clearance of the Calais
camp in late 2016. A further 549 children were transferred to the UK from
Calais at this time under different legal bases. 31

In July 2020, the government announced that it had completed the transfer of
480 unaccompanied children under section 67. 32

Resettlement from Afghanistan (2021 to 2025)

Coinciding with the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the UK
government established the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
scheme to resettle Afghan nationals previously employed by the British in
Afghanistan.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the UK

established a separate Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) to
resettle vulnerable people at risk of persecution. The ACRS officially opened in
January 2022, although most eligible individuals were already evacuated to
the UK in 2021. 33

In 2021, people resettled or relocated from Afghanistan via humanitarian

routes made up half (50%) of those granted humanitarian protection in the
UK that year. 34

The Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) was established in April 2024 in

response to a data incident in February 2022. It provided for people assessed
as being at the highest risk from the Taliban as a result of the data breach to
be relocated to the UK. The existence of this previously secret scheme became
publicly known in July 2025. 35

31
Home Office, Transfers of children to the UK from the Calais Operation, 30 November 2017
32
UK Visas and Immigration, Factsheet: section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (‘Dubs amendment’), 27
July 2020
33
See, for example, statement from the Minister for Afghan Resettlement in HC Deb vol 706 col 185 “The
first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK, who include
women’s rights activists, journalists and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British
nationals.”
34
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, tables Res_D02, Asy_D02 and Asy_D07
35
Home Office, Afghan Response Route, 22 July 2025

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Asylum statistics

All Afghanistan schemes were closed to new applicants in July 2025. 36 As of

the end of June 2025, around 35,700 people had been resettled or relocated
under these schemes, consisting of around:

• 19,050 under ARAP,

• 13,250 under the ACRS,
• 3,400 under the ARR, and
• 30 people for whom no specified route is recorded. 37

36
Home Office, Afghan Resettlement Programme, 23 July 2025
37
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, table Res_D02; Home Office, Afghan
Resettlement Programme: operational data, 21 August 2025

30 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

4 Asylum in the European Union

4.1 Asylum applications in EU countries

The number of asylum applications in EU countries has increased during the

last five years. This increase has been partly, but not wholly, driven by the
refugee crisis arising from the Syrian civil war.

The below chart shows the number of people applying for asylum in EU
countries in each month from January 2009 to May 2025. These figures
include both main applicants and dependents.

It is important to note that Ukrainian refugees are not represented here. Most
who fled war in Ukraine in 2022 did not apply for asylum via the usual in-
country asylum process in their destination but were granted temporary
protection under an EU directive adopted in March 2022. EU data shows that,
as of June 2025, 6.5 million people fleeing Ukraine have been granted
temporary protection in EU countries since Russia's full-scale invasion in
February 2022. 38

Asylum applications in EU countries

Main applicants only (thousands), including the UK until end of 2019
200 Syrian conflict UK excluded
and European from 2020
'Migrant Crisis' onwards
150

100

50
Covid-19 pandemic
0
Jan 2008

Jan 2009

Jan 2010

Jan 2011

Jan 2012

Jan 2013

Jan 2014

Jan 2015

Jan 2016

Jan 2017

Jan 2018

Jan 2019

Jan 2020

Jan 2021

Jan 2022

Jan 2023

Jan 2024

Jan 2025

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants and dependants. 2. Figures on asylum applications in Croatia are
included from January 2013; however, the numbers are small (see table below).
Source: Eurostat, Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex: monthly data
[migr_asyappctzm]

The total number of people applying for asylum in EU countries has been
increasing over time, albeit with some notable spikes and dips.

38
Eurostat, Temporary protection for persons fleeing Ukraine - monthly statistics, August 2025

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Asylum statistics

Asylum applications in EU countries reached their highest level in October

2015 at 172,000, falling to 101,000 in January 2016. They increased again to
138,300 in August 2016 before falling to a low of 9,600 in April 2020 (during
the pandemic). Note that the UK has not been included in the figures since
January 2020.

The table below shows the number of asylum applications received in

European Union countries between 2020 and 2024. In 2024, Germany received
the largest number of asylum applicants among EU countries (250,550),
followed by Spain (166,145), Italy (158,605), and France (157,460). Together,
these top four countries received almost three quarters (73%) of all asylum
applications in the EU27.

Annual asylum applications in EU countries

EU27 countries and UK; main applicants and dependents
Country 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Austria 14,760 39,900 112,245 59,210 25,330

Belgium 16,710 24,970 36,740 35,160 39,510
Bulgaria 3,525 11,000 20,390 22,510 12,260
Croatia 1,605 2,550 2,730 1,750 1,115
Cyprus 7,495 13,670 22,190 11,910 9,185
Czechia 1,160 1,405 1,685 1,405 1,355
Denmark 1,475 2,080 4,565 2,455 2,280
Estonia 50 80 2,945 3,985 1,355
Finland 3,190 2,525 5,780 5,335 2,915
France 93,200 120,685 156,455 166,940 157,460
Germany 121,955 190,545 243,835 351,510 250,550
Greece 40,560 28,355 37,375 64,225 73,680
Hungary 115 40 45 30 30
Ireland 1,565 2,650 13,660 13,275 18,565
Italy 26,940 53,610 84,290 135,820 158,605
Latvia 180 615 620 1,700 1,040
Lithuania 315 3,940 1,025 575 360
Luxembourg 1,345 1,415 2,460 2,685 2,205
Malta 2,480 1,595 1,320 855 700
Netherlands 15,255 26,525 37,025 39,710 33,435
Poland 2,785 7,795 9,810 9,475 16,895
Portugal 1,000 1,540 2,115 2,695 2,690
Romania 6,155 9,585 12,355 10,095 2,400
Slovakia 280 370 545 410 150
Slovenia 3,550 5,300 6,785 7,260 5,635
Spain 88,530 65,295 117,945 162,420 166,145
Sweden 20,195 20,375 23,805 17,010 11,110

EU27 total 476,360 638,410 960,725 1,130,405 996,955

United Kingdom 36,986 58,532 99,939 91,811 108,138

Source: Eurostat, Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual
aggregated data [migr_asyappctza]
Notes: Figures are for main applicants and dependants. UK figures are from the Home Office published
datasets (Table Asy_D01) and may not be strictly comparable with the other countries’ data, as
provided to Eurostat.

32 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

Asylum applications in EU countries in 2024, per 10,000 population

Main applicants and dependants; including UK for comparison
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Belgium

United Kingdom

Poland
Germany

Denmark
Luxembourg
Spain

EU27 total

Finland

Croatia
Sweden
Malta
Greece

Austria

France

Romania
Slovenia

Czechia
Ireland

Latvia

Portugal
Cyprus

Italy

Estonia

Lithuania
Bulgaria
Netherlands
Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants and dependants. 2. Population is for 1 Jan 2024 for all EU countries.
Sources: Eurostat, Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual aggregated
data [migr_asyappctza], Population by age and sex [demo_pjan]; Home Office, Table Asy_D01; ONS, UK
population mid-year estimate

The chart above shows the number of asylum applications per 10,000
population in EU countries and the UK in 2024. During this period Cyprus had
the largest number of asylum applications per 10,000 people (95), followed
by Greece (71), Ireland (35), Spain (34), Belgium and Luxembourg (both 33).

In 2024, there were around 16 asylum applicants for every 10,000 people
resident in the UK. Across the EU27 there were 22 asylum applications for
every 10,000 people.

4.2 From where do asylum seekers come to the

EU?

The table below shows the ten largest groups of foreign nationals applying for
asylum in EU countries in 2024. The largest groups were nationals of Syria
(153,425), Afghanistan (80,450), Venezuela (73,695), Turkey (52,315), and
Colombia (51,150).

33 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

Asylum applications by nationality

EU27 countries, 2024

As % of all As % of all
Nationality Number applications Continued… Number applications

Syria 153,425 15.4% Pakistan 23,380 2.3%

Afghanistan 80,450 8.1% Iraq 18,665 1.9%
Venezuela 73,695 7.4% Somalia 18,520 1.9%
Turkey 52,315 5.2% Guinea 17,330 1.7%
Colombia 51,150 5.1% Nigeria 17,325 1.7%
Bangladesh 43,310 4.3% Mali 17,155 1.7%
Peru 27,225 2.7% Georgia 14,760 1.5%
Ukraine 26,425 2.6% DR Congo 14,045 1.4%
Egypt 25,455 2.6% Tunisia 13,815 1.4%
Morocco 24,030 2.4% Senegal 13,435 1.3%

All applications 997,420 100.0%

Source: Eurostat, Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual aggregated
data [migr_asyappctza]
Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants and dependants.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

The top ten countries of nationality for asylum applicants in the EU accounted
for 56% of all asylum applications in 2024.

4.3 Grants of asylum in EU countries

The table below shows first instance decisions on asylum applications in EU

countries in 2024, including the number of grants and refusals. Here, grants
include all positive decisions on asylum applications, not just those granted
refugee status.

In 2023, Germany granted the largest number of positive asylum decisions

among EU countries (133,710), followed by France (52,130) and Spain (50,700).
The UK granted asylum or another form of humanitarian protection to 30,120
people, not including resettled persons.

34 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

First instance decisions on asylum applications

EU27 countries and the UK, 2024
Country Grants Refusals Grant rate Total

Austria 22,555 8,995 71% 31,550

Belgium 15,620 16,410 49% 32,030
Bulgaria 5,085 3,135 62% 8,220
Croatia 65 245 21% 310
Cyprus 3,780 8,725 30% 12,505
Czechia 160 605 21% 765
Denmark 715 765 48% 1,485
Estonia 1,350 60 96% 1,410
Finland 1,340 1,140 54% 2,480
France 52,130 85,765 38% 137,895
Germany 133,710 116,550 53% 250,255
Greece 39,565 15,735 72% 55,300
Hungary 15 10 60% 25
Ireland 3,790 1,350 74% 5,140
Italy 28,185 50,375 36% 78,565
Latvia 185 470 28% 655
Lithuania 190 215 48% 400
Luxembourg 970 550 64% 1,520
Malta 230 300 44% 525
Netherlands 15,960 5,195 75% 21,155
Poland 7,015 1,565 82% 8,580
Portugal 10 995 1% 1,005
Romania 745 1,465 34% 2,215
Slovakia 60 50 55% 110
Slovenia 185 210 47% 390
Spain 50,700 39,160 56% 89,860
Sweden 3,320 6,350 34% 9,670
United Kingdom 30,120 33,720 47% 63,835

EU27 total 387,635 366,385 51% 754,020

Source: Eurostat, First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex: quarterly data
[migr_asydcfstq]. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

35 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

Asylum grants per 10,000 population, 2024

Main applicants and dependants
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Belgium

United Kingdom

Poland
Germany

Denmark
Luxembourg

Spain

EU27 total

Finland

Croatia

Hungary
Sweden
Malta
Greece
Austria

France

Slovakia
Romania
Slovenia

Czechia
Ireland

Latvia

Portugal
Cyprus

Estonia

Italy

Lithuania
Bulgaria
Netherlands

Notes: 1. Figures are for main applicants and dependants. 2. First instance decisions do not necessarily relate
to applications made during the same period.
Source: Eurostat, First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex: quarterly data
[migr_asydcfstq]

The chart above shows the number of positive asylum decisions granted at
first instance per 10,000 population in EU countries in 2024. During this
period Cyprus granted the largest number of positive first instance asylum
decisions per 10,000 people (39) and Portugal the fewest (0.01).

In 2024, the UK granted around four positive asylum decisions at first instance
for every 10,000 people. Across the EU27 there were nine such grants for
every 10,000 people.

36 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

 Asylum statistics

5 Channel crossings

The phenomenon of people crossing the Channel in small boats was first
detected at a significant scale in 2018. The number of people entering the UK
in this manner rose in each year until 2022 and then fell in 2023.

The total number of people recorded as having entered the UK in small boats
was:

• 299 in 2018,
• 1,843 in 2019,
• 8,466 in 2020,
• 28,526 in 2021,
• 45,774 in 2022,
• 29,437 in 2023, and
• 36,816 in 2024.

There were a further 19,982 people recorded in the first half of 2025. 39

The chart below shows the monthly number of individuals who have crossed in
small boats.

Channel crossings by migrants in small boats

Number of people detected reaching the UK each month since 2019
10,000 Highest monthly
total: 8,574 in
August 2022
8,000
Start of the
pandemic
6,000

4,000

2,000

0
Jan 2019 Jan 2020 Jan 2021 Jan 2022 Jan 2023 Jan 2024 Jan 2025
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Irregular migration to the UK summary
table Irr_02a

39
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Table Irr_D01

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Asylum statistics

The majority, but not all, of those detected crossing in small boats have
applied for asylum. Information published by the Home Office indicates that:

• 95% of people who arrived in small boats between 2018 and the end of
June 2025 applied for asylum. 40

• The proportions applying for asylum in the years ending June 2025 and
June 2024 were higher than this, at 99% and 98% respectively. 41

• The 159,000 small boat arrivals who applied for asylum between 2018
and the end of June 2025 made up 30% of all asylum applicants during
that period. 42

• 20% of applications made between 2018 and the end of June 2025 were
still awaiting an initial decision as of June 2025. A further 19% had either
been withdrawn or received an ‘administrative outcome’. 43

• Of those which had received an initial decision, 64% had been granted
asylum or another form of humanitarian protection. 44

40
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Irregular migration to the UK detailed
dataset, Table Irr_D02
41
As above
42
As above and Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Table Asy_D01
43
Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2025, Irregular migration to the UK detailed
dataset, Table Irr_D03
44
As above

38 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

Appendix: Data table

Asylum applications and initial decisions

1984-2024; main applicants only
Grants
Initial Total Asylum Other Administrative
Applications decisions* grants grants grants Refusals Withdrawn outcome
1984 2,905 1,431 1,084 453 631 347 175 .
1985 4,389 2,635 2,133 574 1,559 502 201 .
1986 4,266 2,983 2,450 348 2,102 533 164 .
1987 4,256 2,432 1,797 266 1,531 635 200 .
1988 3,998 2,702 2,206 628 1,578 496 281 .
1989 11,640 6,955 6,070 2,210 3,860 890 350 .
1990 26,205 4,025 3,320 920 2,400 705 370 .
1991 44,840 6,075 2,695 505 2,190 3,380 745 .
1992 24,605 34,900 16,440 1,115 15,325 18,465 1,540 .
1993 22,370 23,405 12,715 1,590 11,125 10,690 1,925 .
1994 32,831 20,988 4,487 827 3,660 16,501 2,391 .
1995 43,963 27,006 5,705 1,294 4,411 21,301 2,564 .
1996 29,642 38,962 7,293 2,239 5,054 31,669 2,926 .
1997 32,502 36,044 7,100 3,986 3,114 28,944 2,065 .
1998 46,014 31,571 9,255 5,346 3,909 22,316 1,469 .
1999 71,158 21,307 10,283 7,816 2,467 11,024 732 .
2000 80,315 97,547 21,868 10,373 11,495 75,679 1,721 .
2001 71,027 120,949 31,641 11,449 20,192 89,308 2,399 .
2002 84,132 83,540 28,408 8,272 20,136 55,132 1,492 .
2003 49,407 64,941 11,074 4,002 7,072 53,867 1,837 .
2004 33,960 46,021 5,558 1,721 3,837 40,463 2,204 .
2005 25,712 27,393 4,739 2,063 2,676 22,654 2,546 .
2006 23,608 20,930 4,480 2,226 2,254 16,462 1,780 .
2007 23,431 21,775 5,740 3,657 2,083 16,033 1,235 .
2008 25,932 19,398 5,898 3,820 2,078 13,505 2,751 .
2009 24,487 24,287 6,743 4,282 2,461 17,545 3,344 .
2010 17,916 20,264 5,198 3,579 1,619 15,066 2,891 .
2011 19,865 17,382 5,651 4,393 1,258 11,731 2,419 .
2012 21,843 16,774 6,059 5,223 836 10,715 2,142 .
2013 23,584 17,665 6,664 5,789 875 11,001 2,414 .
2014 25,033 19,783 8,151 7,334 817 11,632 2,262 .
2015 32,733 28,623 11,422 10,085 1,337 17,201 2,830 .
2016 30,747 24,895 8,465 7,324 1,141 16,430 2,907 .
2017 26,547 21,269 6,779 6,103 676 14,490 3,092 .
2018 29,504 21,084 6,931 6,139 792 14,153 3,088 .
2019 35,737 20,766 10,796 10,038 758 9,970 3,113 .
2020 29,815 14,304 6,538 6,233 305 7,766 2,569 .
2021 50,042 14,532 10,468 10,281 187 4,064 2,686 .
2022 81,130 18,811 14,370 14,168 202 4,441 5,255 .
2023 72,464 75,124 50,144 49,205 939 24,980 24,530 8,776
2024 84,231 63,834 30,115 29,593 522 33,719 16,421 9,282

Notes to Table:
1. Figures are for main applicants only.
2. Other grants include humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, and grants under family and
private life rules, which relate to the introduction of a new approach to Article 8 of the European
Convention on Human Rights, from 9 July 2012; Leave Outside the Rules, which was introduced for those
refused asylum from 1 April 2013; and UASC leave, which was introduced for Unaccompanied Asylum-
Seeking Children refused asylum but eligible for temporary leave from 1 April 2013. From April 2003,
exceptional leave to remain was replaced with humanitarian protection and discretionary leave.
3. Figures from 1989 to 1993 are rounded to the nearest five and may not sum due to independent
rounding.

39 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

Asylum statistics

4. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period.
5. Some people refused asylum at initial decision may be granted leave to remain following an appeal.
6. ‘Administrative outcomes’ are a new category introduced in 2023. According to the Home Office, “This
category includes a small number of cases that were previously categorised as a withdrawal, as well as
other administrative outcomes including voided and suspended cases.”

Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2024, tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02

40 Commons Library Research Briefing, 1 September 2025

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