Refugee facts
As part of our mission we want to raise awareness and tell the truth about some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
1.
The total number of people forcibly displaced – both within countries and across borders – has almost doubled over the past decade. UNHCR estimates 118 million people have been forcibly displaced by mid 2025.
2.
By 2025, 49% of all displaced peoples (nearly 50 million) are children. The country of origins of the most displaced children include Sudan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine and Afghanistan.
3.
In 2024, the UK ranked 5th in Europe for asylum applications behind Germany, France, Spain and Italy. When measured ‘per head of population’, the UK ranked 15th in Europe for asylum applications.
4.
The grant rate for asylum or other forms of leave for separated children in the year ending September 2025 was 66%, down from 74% in the previous year.
5.
4% of asylum applications (3,598) were from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in the year ending December 2025, down nearly 14% on the previous year.
6.
In 2025, Sudan was the main country of origin for applications from separated children.
7.
The UNHCR estimates that 2.4 million children were born into refugee life between 2018 and 2024, equivalent to some 338,000 children per year
8.
Of the 4,727 age disputes resolved in the year ending June 24, 60% were found to be less than 18 years old
9.
In the year to end of March 2025, 4,556 UASC applications received initial decisions in the last year (a 32% decrease on the year to 31st March 2024), with a grant rate of 74% (a 1% decrease on the previous year).
10.
68% of all claims in the year to 31st March 2025 were submitted by people from countries impacted by British colonial rule. This trend was identified by Refugee Action’s 2024 report Asylum in the UK: A Front Line for Racial Justice.
12.
By end September 2025, 80,841 people were waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application, a decrease of 17% from 97,170 people waiting at the end of September 2024. 16,593 people (20%) had been waiting for more than a year.
13.
Asylum Seekers within the UK receive £49.18/week per person in the household (to cover food, clothing and toiletries). If meals are provided within their accommodation, each person receives only £9.95/week for each person within the household.
14.
89,509 asylum applications (relating to 111,084 people) were made UK in the year ending June 2025, 14% more than in the year ending June 2024, and 8% more than the previous peak of 103,081 in 2002. (4)
The above facts were gathered from:
(1) Forced migration or displacement data / Refugee Data Finder – Key Indicators
(2) Refugee-Action-stats-report-Q1-2025-FINAL.pdf
(3) Child Displacement and Refugees – UNICEF DATA
(4) How many people claim asylum in the UK? – GOV.UK
(5) Asylum support: What you’ll get – GOV.UK
To speak to us about our findings, please contact Hannah Williams.
