Accredited official statistics

How many people do we grant asylum or protection to?

Updated 23 September 2022

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This is not the latest release. View latest release.

Following an internal quality assurance exercise, we have revised the number of asylum applications awaiting a decision as at 30 June 2022.

We have identified an issue with data on asylum support at the end of June 2022. We have therefore removed the data for the latest period to end June 2022 while we investigate and will provide an update in the next Immigration Statistics release. Data for earlier periods are not affected.

These change have been reflected in the topic ‘How many people do we grant asylum or protection to?’ and the underlying data tables.

Data relate to the year ending June 2022 and all comparisons are with 2019 (unless indicated otherwise), reflecting a comparison with the period prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions were implemented in many parts of the world, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity.

Year ending comparisons that follow will include impacts resulting from the restrictions put in place during this period of the pandemic.

This section contains data on:

• Asylum applications and initial decisions, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC)
• Resettlement
• Family reunion visas granted
• Outcomes of asylum applications
• Asylum support
• Inadmissibility

An asylum application may relate to more than one person, if the 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 or initial decisions (‘main applicants only’), and the number of people related to asylum applications and initial decisions (‘main applicants and dependants’).

Statistics on the number of applications and decisions of those applying to enter or remain in the UK under the new Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) route are included in the ‘How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)’ section.

1. People granted protection and other leave through asylum and resettlement routes

This section covers individuals granted leave to remain in the UK via three routes: applying for asylum, resettlement, and family reunion visas.

The UK offered protection, in the form of asylum, humanitarian protection, alternative forms of leave and resettlement, to 15,684 people (including dependants) in the year ending June 2022. Of these:

• 12,968 were granted refugee status following an asylum application (‘asylum’)
• 859 were granted humanitarian protection
• 235 were granted alternative forms of leave (such as discretionary leave, UASC leave)
• 1,622 were granted refugee status through resettlement schemes

Additionally, 5,290 partners and children of refugees living in the UK were granted entry to the UK through family reunion visas, 29% fewer than the number in 2019, the year prior to the pandemic.

The number of people offered protection in the year ending June 2022 (either following an application for asylum or through an established resettlement scheme) was 24% fewer than in 2019, but similar to levels seen from 2015 to 2018. This decrease (from 20,692 in 2019 to 15,684 in the year ending June 2022) is largely accounted for by resettlement remaining below pre-pandemic levels. However, the resettlement figures in this release do not yet include data relating to the individuals relocated under the Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). Statistics on these schemes will be included in future editions of Immigration Statistics. For further information on ACRS and ARAP, see the Resettlement section below.

Figure 1: People granted asylum-related protection, resettlement and family reunion visas in the UK, years ending June 2013 to June 2022 ^1,2,3,4

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D02

Notes:

1. In this chart, ‘Asylum-related grants’ are grants that resulted from an asylum application. These include asylum and other grants where the individual does not meet the criteria for asylum (e.g. humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, grants under family and private life rules, leave outside the rules and UASC leave).
2. The asylum-related grants data refers to grants at initial decision. The final number of grants following appeal will be higher.
3. Grants of family reunion visas are not included in the ‘Total asylum & resettlement’ figure.
4. These statistics include both main applicants and dependants.

Figure 1 shows that the number of people granted protection following an application for asylum sharply increased in 2015 and 2016 (during the ‘European migration crisis’) and again just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, after which applications fell sharply. For resettlement, the number of people resettled rose after the ‘European migration crisis’ in 2015/16 to around 5,000 per year and remained around this level until March 2020, when resettlement activity was paused due to the pandemic. In comparison, the number of family reunion visas granted has shown a relatively consistent, gradual increase over the years, although they have fallen slightly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data in this section includes only those granted asylum or alternative forms of leave at initial decision following an asylum application. However, there will be additional people who receive a grant of protection following an appeal against an initial refusal (see sections below on outcomes and appeals).

1.1 Resettlement

These numbers currently exclude the additional numbers of people resettled from Afghanistan over the past year (see below).

There were 1,622 people granted protection through the established resettlement schemes in the year ending June 2022, over two thirds (71%) fewer than in 2019. Resettlement levels in these schemes have not yet returned to levels seen for the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), which was introduced initially in response to the situation of Syrian refugees (in the period 2016-2019, 22,842 people were resettled, equal to a rate of more than 5,000 per year, predominantly through the VPRS).

In the year ending June 2022:

• 85% were resettled through the UK Resettlement scheme (UKRS), and the remainder through the Mandate Scheme and Community Sponsorship schemes
• the most common nationalities of those resettled in the latest year were Syrian (64%), Iraqi (10%) and Sudanese (9%)
• since the first arrivals under the new UK Resettlement scheme in March 2021, 1,685 refugees have been resettled in the UK via the UKRS

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

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) opened in January 2022, with the first eligible person relocated under the scheme on 6 January 2022. The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) launched on 1 April 2021. Following the evacuation from Afghanistan over the summer, work is underway to ensure information relating to all the individuals relocated are recorded on case working systems. Once this work concludes, further statistics on the ACRS and ARAP will be incorporated in the resettlement statistics published here. A factsheet Afghan Resettlement Programme: Operational Data has been published with the latest provisional operational data about the evacuees from Afghanistan.

Further details on the ACRS and ARAP can be found in the FACTSHEET: ACRS and other routes and Operation Warm Welcome: progress update.

UNHCR data on resettlement shows that from 2016 to June 2022, the UK resettled over 25,000 individuals – the third highest in the world (behind the United States and Canada) and more than any European country. Data from UNHCR cited here are accurate as of August 2022.

2. Asylum applications

There were 63,089 asylum applications (relating to 75,181 people) in the UK in the year ending June 2022. This was 77% more than in 2019 and the highest number for almost two decades. As shown in Figure 2, it is higher than at the peak of the European migration crisis (when in year ending June 2016 there were 36,546 applications). It is, however, around three quarters of the level of the previous peak in asylum applications in 2002 (84,132 applications), a figure which was partly driven 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 2022 ¹

Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement –Asy_D01

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.

The increase in applications in the latest year is likely linked to a sharp increase in small boat arrivals to the UK of which almost all currently claim asylum. Between January 2018 and June 2022, there were 50,297 small boat arrivals, of whom 94% applied for asylum (47,306). See the ‘Outcomes of asylum applications’ section below for more information on small boat arrivals. For further information on small boat arrivals, see the Irregular Migration to the UK, year ending June 2022, Home office report.

Asylum applications fell substantially in Q2 2020, following the initial COVID-19 outbreak. However, they have since increased and as of Q3 of 2021, are now substantially higher than levels seen prior to the outbreak. There were 15,506 applications for asylum in Q2 2022; whilst lower than the 19,502 applications in Q4 2021, this is just over double the number of applications in the same period in 2019, before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began to appear.

2.1 Applications by nationality

Iran was the top nationality claiming asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2022 (10,752 applications), as it has been in every year since 2016.

In the latest quarter, applications from Albanian nationals increased by 129% from the previous quarter (3,082 applications in Q2 2022, compared to 1,344 in the previous quarter). They were the second highest applying nationality in the latest year. The majority of these applicants were adult males (88% of all Albanian asylum applications in the latest quarter).

Figure 3 shows that the number of applications for the top nine nationalities have surpassed the numbers seen in the two previous years. The top ten nationalities submitted 19,965 applications in the year ending June 2020, but over twice that number (46,374) in the year ending June 2022.

Many of the nationalities with the largest increases between the year ending June 2020 and the year ending June 2022 are also the most common nationalities arriving via small boats. For further information on small boat arrivals, see the Irregular Migration to the UK, year ending June 2022, Home office report.

Figure 3: Top 10 nationalities¹ claiming asylum in the UK, years ending June 2020 to June 2022, and grant rate² at initial decision (%), year ending June 2022

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

Notes:

1. Top 10 nationalities in the most recent year (excluding Stateless); main applicants only.

2. The percentages in the chart are the grant rate at initial decision for each nationality in the most recent year. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave.

Figure 3 also shows the grant rate for the top 10 nationalities applying for asylum, half of which have a grant rate above 80% (Iran 85%, Afghanistan 97%, Eritrea 97%, Syria 98% and Sudan 92%). For more detail on grant rates, see the initial decision section below.

Between January and June 2022, the UK received 310 applications (relating to 484 people) from Ukrainian nationals, over double the number of Ukrainian applications typically received across a whole year previously. This increase is related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For information on applications from Ukrainian nationals, see the Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK chapter of this release. From March 2022, the UK Government introduced new legal migration visa routes for Ukrainian citizens. Further information on the numbers of people arriving through the new Ukraine visa routes are updated regularly on the Ukraine Scheme Visa Data page.

2.2 Age and sex of asylum seekers

Table 1: Individuals applying for asylum as a proportion of the total, by age and sex in the year ending June 2022.

Age	Male	Female
Under 18	12%	6%
18-29	42%	7%
30-49	21%	8%
50-69	2%	1%
70+	<1%	<1%

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.

Table 1 shows that of the 75,181 people applying for asylum in the latest year, just under two thirds (64%) were males aged 18 to 49. Children (under the age of 18) accounted for almost a fifth (18%) of people applying for asylum.

There were 4,896 applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), a 30% increase on the number prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (3,775 in 2019).

2.3 International comparisons

Data from Eurostat cited below are accurate as of July 2022. The data available through Eurostat relate to the year ending March 2022, as that is the latest available comparable statistics, and will be subject to revision. The figures in this section include dependants. The EU+ refers to countries in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.

In the year ending March 2022, the number of people claiming asylum in the EU+ was almost the same compared to the year ending March 2020 (<1% change, from 640,790 to 643,570), whereas in the UK the number increased by 49% over the same period (from 44,884 to 66,838).

In the year ending March 2022, Germany received the highest number of asylum applicants (164,925) in the EU+, followed by France (112,860). When compared with the EU+ for the year ending March 2022, the UK received the 4th largest number of applicants (66,838 – including both main applicants and dependants). This equates to 9% of the total asylum applicants across the EU+ and UK combined over that period, but the 18th largest intake when measured per head of population.

Figure 4: The number of asylum applicants to the UK and the top three countries in the EU+, year ending March 2018 to March 2022 ^1,2,3

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

Notes:

1. Top 3 countries in the EU+ receiving asylum applicants in the most recent year.

2. Includes main applicants and dependants.

3. Data for the UK is sourced from Home Office data.

Figure 4 shows that over the last five years, the UK received fewer applications compared to Germany, France and Spain. Between the year ending March 2018 and the year ending March 2021, the number of applications to the UK remained fairly stable (whereas applications to Germany, France and Spain saw larger fluctuations over these years). Between the year ending March 2021 and the year ending March 2022, the number of applicants to the UK, Germany, France and Spain increased – with the number of applications to the UK more than doubling over that period.

Please note that Eurostat data are not directly comparable with other Home Office Immigration 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.

3. Outcomes of asylum applications

3.1 At initial decision

In the year ending June 2022, there were 14,706 initial decisions made on asylum applications. Although the number of decisions has increased in the last year, they remain 29% below numbers in 2019, before the pandemic.

Just over three quarters (76%) of the initial decisions in the year ending June 2022 were grants (of asylum, humanitarian protection or alternative forms of leave), which is a substantially higher grant rate than much of the past decade, when around a third of initial decisions were grants. The grant rate in the year ending June 2022 is the highest grant rate in over thirty years (since 82% in 1990, although volumes were lower at the time, so this amounted to 3,320 grants of asylum or other leave).

In the year ending June 2022, the number of refusals was around a third of the level in 2019 (3,554 in the year ending June 2022 compared to 9,970 in 2019). All types of refusals have decreased, including third country refusals (with a 92% decrease, from 1,412 in 2019 to 115 in the year ending June 2022).

A third country refusal refers to the UK determining that it is not the countries responsible to consider a person’s asylum claim, and instead seeks to return them to a safe third country in which the person was previously present or has a connection with. The use of this outcome has fallen since the UK leaving the EU. Prior to leaving the EU, the UK processed third country cases in accordance with the Dublin Regulation (which applies to all EU member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein); however, this ceased to apply to the UK from 1 January 2021. New inadmissibility rules, which in part aim to replace the previous operation of the Dublin Regulation, were introduced on 1 January 2021 (see the Inadmissibility section of this release below).

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. Of nationalities that commonly claim asylum in the UK, Afghans, Eritreans and Syrians typically have very high grant rates at initial decision (97%, 97% and 98% respectively), while nationals of India, for example, have low grant rates (4%; see Figure 3). As noted, a significant proportion of the people applying for asylum in the UK at present are from nationalities who are also seeing high grant rates.

Within a nationality, grant rate can vary. For example, for Albanians the overall grant rate in the year ending June 2022 was 53%, but for Albanian adult men the grant rate was 14% and for Albanian women and children it was 90%.

Out of the 47,306 small boat arrivals who applied for asylum between January 2018 and June 2022, 91% were main applicants (43,066). Of the main applicants, 82% were awaiting an initial decision on their application (35,322), and 16% have received an initial decision (the remaining 2% withdrew their applications). Of those small boat arrivals who have received an initial decision (6,910) since 2018:

• 43% (2,988) of applications were not considered, on third country grounds – this means that the UK will not consider the asylum claim and will instead seek the person’s removal to a safe third country, because the applicant was present or had a connection to a safe third country where they could reasonably have been expected to claim asylum before reaching the UK.
• 49% (3,378) were granted asylum or another type of leave
• 8% (544) were refused for other reasons, such as their asylum claim being ‘clearly unfounded’, or the claimant not meeting the requirements for refugee status, or other forms of leave.

For further information on small boat arrivals, see the Irregular Migration to the UK, year ending June 2022, Home office report.

3.2 At appeal

Some initial decisions (mainly, but not entirely, refusals) will go on to be appealed.

There were 3,405 appeals lodged on initial decisions in the year ending June 2022. This is 63% fewer than in 2019, in part reflecting the smaller number of applications refused in the latest year, but also continuing a downward trend in numbers of appeals lodged since 2015 (when there were 14,242 appeals lodged).

Of the appeals determined in the year ending June 2022, around half (51%) were allowed (meaning the Home Office was asked to reconsider their decision). The proportion of appeals allowed has risen from 29% in 2010, when the time series began.

3.3 Final outcomes, following appeal

The grants and refusals referred to in the previous section 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.

Of those who applied for asylum in 2021, 46,814 cases (94%) were still awaiting an outcome at the end of June 2022. For this reason, the analysis below focuses on the outcomes for applications made before 2021. As more initial decisions are made, and more appeals completed, the number of grants (and refusals) for applications from all years (but particularly more recent years) will increase, and this will be reported in future publications.

Figure 5: Outcomes of asylum applications with a known initial decision, 2018 to 2020^1,2,3

Source: Outcome analysis of asylum applications – Asy_D04

Notes:

1. Data include all asylum applications where the application raised date was between 2018 and 2020 and have received an initial decision. Cases where the initial or final decision is unknown, or where the application was withdrawn, are not included in this analysis.
2. Grant rates shown here relate to the decisions of total applications made in each cohort year excluding withdrawals.
3. Appeals lodged are presented as a proportion of all initial decisions (except grants of asylum, which would not be appealed); the majority of these relate to refusals, although a small number of other initial decisions may also result in an appeal. It only includes appeals lodged by the asylum applicant at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).

Figure 5 shows that, 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.

Figure 6: Final outcome of asylum applications, by type of outcome^1,2, 2012 to 2021

Source: Outcome analysis of asylum applications – Asy_D04

Notes:

1. Data are based on date of application, and the outcomes are as at the point of data extraction in May 2022.
2. The proportion of applications awaiting an outcome (either an initial decision or an appeal) will be lower in earlier years as more time has elapsed for the cases to be processed than those from more recent years.

Figure 6 shows for each year the proportion of final outcomes for applications made between 2012 and 2021. The most recent years have a higher proportion of cases still pending a final outcome.

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.

3.4 Applications awaiting outcomes

At the end of June 2022, there were 99,419 cases (relating to 122,213 people) awaiting an initial decision, almost 2.5 times more than the number of applications awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2019 (40,032, relating to 51,228 people). The number of cases awaiting an initial decision has increased in the last 10 years, and risen more rapidly since 2018 when there were 27,256 cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of that year. The number of initial decisions made in the year ending June 2022 fell from 2019 (down 29%, to 14,706), while asylum applications increased (up 77%, to 63,089 applications). This means more cases entered the asylum system than left it, resulting in an increase in cases awaiting an initial decision.

Data on the total number of cases in the asylum system (‘asylum work in progress’), including cases awaiting initial decisions and appeal outcomes, as well as failed asylum seekers that are subject to removal from the UK, are published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection. The latest data available (for the end of June 2022) shows a total of 166,085 cases as ‘work in progress’ in the asylum system.

4. Inadmissibility

From 1 January 2021, following the UK’s departure from the EU, new 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 2022:

• 17,222 asylum claimants were identified for consideration on inadmissibility grounds
• 15,898 ‘notices of intent’ were issued to individuals to inform them that their case was being reviewed in order 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 21 enforced removals of individuals considered for removal on inadmissibility grounds
• 7,971 individuals were subsequently admitted into the UK asylum process for substantive consideration of their asylum claim

The 21 returns were made to Denmark, 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.

5. Support provided to asylum seekers

People in the asylum system who are destitute are entitled to a level of support from the Home Office. This could be the provision of accommodation, subsistence (cash support) or both.

At the end of March 2022, there were 85,007 individuals in receipt of support, 39% higher than at the end of March 2021. 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 the recent increases in asylum applications and the consequent increase in the number of cases awaiting a decision or final outcome.

Of the 85,007 individuals in receipt of support:

• 95% were in receipt of support in the form of accommodation and subsistence (including 26,859 in receipt of temporary support under Section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act (1999))
• 5% were in receipt of subsistence only

6. About the statistics

This section provides information on those applying for and granted protection in the UK through both asylum and resettlement routes. 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 are used to assess the trends in numbers of people seeking and being granted protection, the impact of policy changes, and to understand the demographics of those coming to the UK to claim protection. Data on resettlement and support, broken down by local authority, can help local authorities understand the demands on their services and resources to aid with planning.

6.1 Asylum, resettlement and protection

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 (or ‘asylum’), humanitarian protection, or another form of permission to stay, or a refusal.

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 the resettlement of Afghan staff (and their families) who have supported British efforts in Afghanistan, since 2013. For further information, see the Home Office Afghan resettlement and immigration policy statement.

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.

The total number of individuals granted protection includes grants related to an asylum application (grants of refugee statis or alternative forms of leave) and resettlement. Alternative forms of leave include humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, UASC leave, leave outside the rules, and grants under family and private life rules.

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

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

UASC data includes those treated as an unaccompanied minor for at least one day between the date of application and the date of initial decision. Some UASC applicants may subsequently be found to be an adult following conclusion of an age dispute. Data on age disputes are published in Age Disputes – Asy_D05.

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

Section 12 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (the ‘2022 Act’), which came into force on 28 June, contains the power to differentiate between two groups of refugees (who applied on or after 28 June 2022) and to treat each group differently by offering different entitlements. Such entitlements include but are not limited to length of permission to stay, route to settlement, access to family reunion, and recourse to public funds. 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. For example, Group 2 refugees are granted a minimum of 30 months permission to stay, compared to a minimum of five years for Group 1 refugees. Initial decisions for refugee status issued to Group 1 and Group 2 refugees (I.e. those who applied on or after 28 June) will be shown separately in table Asy_D02 in future releases.

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

6.3 Inadmissibility

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, strengthened 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 are taken from internal Home Office management information and should be considered provisional. The data covers the following:

‘Identified for consideration’: 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’.

‘Notice of intent issued’: This 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.

‘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.

‘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) are available in Dub_D01.

7. Data tables

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

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

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

• Transfers to the UK under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016
• Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation

Statistics on the number of applications and decisions of those applying to enter or remain in the UK under the new Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) route are included in the ‘How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)?’ section.

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