Asylum Claims

This page presents data on asylum claims, decisions, and support in the UK from 2010 to 2026. Data is sourced from the Home Office Immigration System Statistics.

Asylum Claims #

Number of people claiming asylum by year.

0 11,792 23,584 35,377 47,169 58,961 70,753 82,546 94,338 106,130 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2025 2026 Brexit Fri, 31 Jan 2020 Keir Starmer Fri, 5 Jul 2024 Rishi Sunak Tue, 25 Oct 2022 - Fri, 5 Jul 2024 Liz Truss Tue, 6 Sep 2022 - Tue, 25 Oct 2022 Boris Johnson Wed, 24 Jul 2019 - Tue, 6 Sep 2022 Theresa May Wed, 13 Jul 2016 - Wed, 24 Jul 2019 David Cameron | - Wed, 13 Jul 2016 People Claiming Asylum
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_00a)

Initial Decisions #

Number of individual grants of protection and refusals at initial decision.

0 15,017 30,034 45,050 60,067 75,084 90,101 105,117 120,134 135,151 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2025 2026 Grants: 389,099 Refusals: 482,988 Initial Decisions: Grants & Refusals
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_00a)

Asylum Claims - Summary #

A total of 1,019,542 people have claimed asylum from 2010 to 2026.

The grant rate at initial decision in 2026 was 39.3%. There were 97,519 asylum seekers in receipt of support , of which 20,885 were accommodated in hotels.

2010
22,644
2011
25,898
2012
27,978
2013
29,875
2014
32,344
2015
39,968
2016
39,357
2017
34,435
2018
38,483
2019
45,537
2020
37,603
2021
57,942
2022
95,007
2023
87,427
2024
104,764
2025
100,625
2025
106,130
2026
93,525

Asylum Claims - By Age #

Breakdown of asylum claimants by age group, including main applicants and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).

0 11,640 23,281 34,921 46,562 58,202 69,843 81,483 93,124 104,764 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2025 2026 Under 14 14 - 15 16 - 17 18+ Claims by Age Group
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_01a)

Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) #

Number of UASC claiming asylum by year.

2010
1,513
2011
1,248
2012
1,125
2013
1,265
2014
1,945
2015
3,253
2016
3,290
2017
2,399
2018
3,063
2019
3,775
2020
2,705
2021
4,380
2022
6,295
2023
4,921
2024
4,584
2025
3,598
2025
4,181
2026
3,627

Asylum Claims - By Nationality #

Number of people claiming asylum by nationality.

2026 2025 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Stateless Yemen Ethiopia Brazil Somalia China Turkey Vietnam Sri Lanka Nigeria Syria India Sudan Bangladesh Iraq Albania Eritrea Afghanistan Pakistan Iran Other 2010-2026: 1,019,542 1.5K 1.5K 1.9K 2K 4.7K 1.4K 1.7K 2K 2.3K 3.1K 1.7K 5.4K 5.9K 5.9K 2.2K 1.7K 8.2K 6.2K 9.4K 7.3K 17K 1.5K 1.8K 2.1K 2.4K 4.8K 1.5K 1.9K 2.4K 2.2K 2.9K 2K 5.8K 5.9K 6.2K 2.4K 1.8K 8.9K 6.5K 11K 7.4K 20K 1.5K 1.8K 2.1K 2.4K 4.8K 1.5K 1.9K 2.4K 2.2K 2.9K 2K 5.8K 5.9K 6.2K 2.4K 1.8K 8.9K 6.5K 11K 7.4K 20K 287 1.7K 940 2.6K 1.3K 1.6K 2.8K 5.1K 2.8K 2.8K 6.4K 5.3K 4.7K 7.2K 3.1K 2.6K 4.9K 8.1K 11K 7.7K 22K 135 397 609 2.2K 672 1.5K 4.2K 2.4K 2.1K 1.4K 3.8K 5.3K 3.4K 5.2K 4.1K 4.4K 3.9K 9.3K 5.7K 7.3K 19K 154 711 868 694 592 1K 2.2K 1K 1.3K 1.3K 4.6K 3.4K 3.2K 4.5K 6.6K 17K 3.4K 11K 3K 9.3K 20K 215 505 860 149 698 631 809 1.9K 377 1.1K 3.7K 1.2K 2.3K 1.1K 7.6K 5.5K 4.9K 3K 1.3K 10K 9.9K 223 594 350 204 315 878 831 1.1K 428 1.1K 1.8K 1.1K 2.2K 903 3.3K 3.5K 2.7K 1.6K 1.6K 4.2K 8.9K 943 360 346 208 369 1.5K 1.3K 1.6K 765 1.5K 1.4K 2K 1.8K 1.4K 4K 4.2K 1.9K 2.2K 2.6K 5.5K 9.7K 714 256 526 70 337 1.2K 805 1.3K 618 1.4K 921 1.7K 1.8K 1.5K 3.7K 2.6K 2.2K 2.1K 2.6K 4K 8.2K 348 180 469 34 338 1.1K 513 1.2K 960 1.7K 786 1.8K 1.8K 2K 3.4K 1.9K 1.1K 2K 3.2K 3.1K 6.7K 622 100 362 42 404 1K 428 822 1.3K 1.9K 1.6K 2.1K 1.4K 2.3K 3.7K 1.9K 1.3K 3.1K 3.8K 4.8K 6.5K 570 146 769 23 437 766 254 620 1.4K 1.6K 2.8K 1.3K 3K 1.3K 2.6K 2K 3.8K 2.9K 3.4K 3.7K 6.6K 270 104 267 21 412 1.1K 296 400 1.7K 1.5K 2.4K 922 1.6K 919 911 2K 3.3K 1.8K 4K 2.5K 6K 177 63 172 24 520 1.1K 267 466 2.3K 1.5K 2K 1.1K 834 1.2K 450 1.6K 1.4K 1.5K 4.6K 3K 5.6K 167 77 153 24 678 970 200 416 2.1K 1.5K 1.3K 1.2K 740 1.2K 423 1K 768 1.2K 4.9K 3.2K 5.8K 238 64 127 46 660 1K 181 347 2.1K 1.1K 508 615 793 671 377 439 827 1.5K 4K 3.1K 7.2K 127 48 104 49 679 1.4K 176 467 1.6K 1.1K 160 610 643 501 496 219 772 1.8K 2.2K 2.2K 7.2K Yearly Claims by Nationality
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_01b)
Nationality 20102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026 Total
Other
7,222
7,150
5,780
5,647
6,014
6,591
6,495
6,674
8,172
9,681
8,880
9,855
19,698
19,464
22,165
19,693
17,378
186,559
Iran
2,224
3,051
3,162
2,967
2,499
3,716
4,837
3,094
4,003
5,490
4,161
10,136
9,293
7,265
7,673
7,419
7,331
88,321
Pakistan
2,151
4,005
4,867
4,576
3,976
3,365
3,774
3,193
2,625
2,617
1,583
1,293
2,970
5,719
10,549
10,638
9,438
77,339
Afghanistan
1,843
1,529
1,242
1,456
1,753
2,852
3,115
1,962
2,103
2,165
1,595
3,047
10,781
9,290
8,099
6,462
6,197
65,491
Eritrea
772
827
768
1,431
3,291
3,756
1,265
1,127
2,208
1,937
2,662
4,947
3,416
3,906
4,901
8,948
8,212
54,374
Albania
219
439
1,017
1,641
1,972
1,998
1,884
1,858
2,609
4,233
3,526
5,479
16,800
4,427
2,607
1,816
1,657
54,182
Iraq
496
377
423
450
911
2,648
3,734
3,356
3,660
4,008
3,343
7,648
6,567
4,105
3,127
2,370
2,236
49,459
Bangladesh
501
671
1,169
1,246
919
1,320
2,256
2,004
1,463
1,375
903
1,104
4,483
5,191
7,225
6,247
5,944
44,021
Sudan
643
793
740
834
1,615
3,018
1,445
1,842
1,786
1,785
2,164
2,334
3,153
3,376
4,699
5,869
5,898
41,994
India
610
615
1,195
1,111
922
1,324
2,054
1,821
1,685
1,953
1,053
1,195
3,369
5,324
5,284
5,751
5,378
40,644
Syria
160
508
1,289
2,020
2,353
2,794
1,569
786
921
1,390
1,754
3,706
4,609
3,787
6,435
1,959
1,697
37,737
Nigeria
1,149
1,105
1,498
1,450
1,519
1,590
1,894
1,664
1,415
1,476
1,103
1,072
1,343
1,428
2,840
2,904
3,124
28,574
Sri Lanka
1,635
2,142
2,143
2,278
1,715
1,411
1,251
960
618
765
428
377
1,272
2,064
2,795
2,243
2,281
26,378
Vietnam
467
347
416
466
400
620
822
1,154
1,278
1,610
1,053
1,882
1,024
2,362
5,098
2,428
1,987
23,414
China
1,369
1,023
970
1,079
1,115
766
1,004
1,058
1,229
1,535
878
631
1,017
1,540
1,622
1,471
1,372
19,679
Turkey
176
181
200
267
296
254
428
513
805
1,291
831
809
2,193
4,208
2,848
1,883
1,725
18,908
Somalia
679
660
678
520
412
437
404
338
337
369
315
698
592
672
1,347
4,777
4,676
17,911
Ethiopia
104
127
153
172
267
769
362
469
526
346
350
860
868
609
940
2,096
1,946
10,964
Brazil
49
46
24
24
21
23
42
34
70
208
204
149
694
2,158
2,555
2,416
2,002
10,719
Yemen
48
64
77
63
104
146
100
180
256
360
594
505
711
397
1,668
1,776
1,540
8,589
Stateless
127
238
167
177
270
570
622
348
714
943
223
215
154
135
287
1,459
1,506
8,155

Asylum Claims - By Route of Entry #

Number of individual asylum claims by route of entry to the UK. Small Boat refers to crossings via the English Channel. Clandestine refers to those who entered hidden in vehicles, lorries, or trains. No Documentation covers those who arrived without valid travel documents. Visas & Leave includes those who entered on a visa or with other leave and later claimed asylum.

0 4,585 9,169 13,754 18,339 22,923 27,508 32,093 36,677 41,262 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2025 2026 Small Boat Clandestine No Documentation Visas & Leave Other Claims by Route of Entry
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_01c)

Asylum Decisions - Grants of Protection #

Number of individual grants of protection by type, including resettlement arrivals. Refugee Permission is granted to those who meet the criteria of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Humanitarian Protection is for those who don't qualify as refugees but face serious harm if returned. Discretionary Leave is granted outside the immigration rules, often for compassionate reasons. Resettlement arrivals are refugees brought to the UK directly from conflict regions through official programmes.

0 7,169 14,337 21,506 28,674 35,843 43,011 50,180 57,348 64,517 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2025 2026 Refugee Permission Humanitarian Protection Discretionary Leave Resettlement arrivals Grants of Protection by Type
Last sync:
Source:
GOV.UK | Asylum summary tables
asylum-summary-mar-2026-tables.ods | (Asy_02a)

Asylum Overview - Full Data #

Complete overview of asylum statistics by year.

Category 201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520252026
People claiming asylum
22,644
25,898
27,978
29,875
32,344
39,968
39,357
34,435
38,483
45,537
37,603
57,942
95,007
87,427
104,764
100,625
106,130
93,525
People receiving initial decisions
26,452
22,794
21,859
22,556
25,883
38,147
31,011
27,850
28,969
28,575
18,477
17,866
22,790
91,556
86,643
135,151
97,208
128,300
Grants of protection or other leave
6,444
7,184
7,797
8,638
10,101
13,945
9,944
8,564
10,097
15,080
8,973
12,953
17,274
61,478
40,754
54,887
46,405
48,581
Refusals
20,008
15,610
14,062
13,918
15,782
24,202
21,067
19,286
18,872
13,495
9,504
4,913
5,516
30,078
45,889
80,264
50,803
79,719
Withdrawals
3,059
2,608
2,302
2,555
2,515
3,162
3,218
3,417
3,516
3,563
2,737
2,692
4,582
25,011
20,147
18,353
17,956
16,901
Grant rate at initial decision
25.7%
32.5%
36.1%
37.7%
41.2%
39.9%
34.0%
31.9%
32.9%
52.0%
46.3%
72.2%
75.9%
67.2%
47.3%
42.1%
48.7%
39.3%
People awaiting an initial decision
7,240
8,857
12,816
18,172
22,898
22,147
27,857
29,522
35,855
51,228
64,895
100,564
160,919
128,786
124,802
64,426
109,536
48,758
Cases awaiting an initial decision
5,978
6,800
9,871
13,628
17,067
18,111
21,475
22,234
27,256
40,032
51,321
81,978
132,182
95,252
90,686
48,723
78,745
35,744
Appeals lodged
13,928
9,986
8,197
8,519
8,241
14,242
12,333
11,134
11,340
9,091
4,850
4,081
3,815
0
0
0
0
0
Appeal decisions
14,090
9,918
7,680
7,759
5,839
8,771
11,965
13,697
11,119
9,017
3,387
3,332
3,251
0
0
0
0
0
Appeal success rate
28.6%
28.0%
28.7%
26.8%
30.1%
37.2%
42.2%
37.0%
40.1%
44.3%
43.9%
49.0%
51.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Asylum seekers in receipt of support
22,689
21,856
21,249
29,487
36,223
40,169
45,152
46,652
50,426
50,091
64,041
84,457
110,171
111,132
112,187
107,003
106,771
97,519
Of which accommodated in hotels
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
45,753
45,744
38,054
30,657
32,326
20,885
Asylum-related returns
10,563
10,374
9,026
8,928
6,865
5,696
5,116
5,149
3,971
3,167
1,565
1,566
2,825
6,513
9,481
12,258
10,205
11,918
Enforced
6,771
6,289
5,804
6,455
4,866
3,513
2,978
3,001
2,122
1,364
512
346
579
1,992
2,638
3,432
2,805
3,475
Voluntary
3,792
4,085
3,222
2,473
1,999
2,183
2,138
2,148
1,849
1,803
1,053
1,220
2,246
4,521
6,843
8,826
7,400
8,443