United Kingdom: Country Report | 2024

AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.

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Executive Summary

Population Overview

United Kingdom: Population Overview

The population of forcibly displaced and stateless people in the United Kingdom continued its upward trajectory through 2024, reflecting the ongoing impact of global crises on national protection systems. The total number of people of concern has risen significantly since 2019, with the most recent data highlighting a complex and evolving demographic landscape.

An analysis of the population composition reveals a significant concentration within a single category. Of the 646,000 individuals tallied in key population groups, the data shows that approximately 80 per cent, or 515,677 people, fall under one classification. This trend was reinforced between 2023 and 2024, a period that saw a net increase in displaced populations. The growth was primarily driven by a substantial rise in the number of ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’, which grew by 67,057 individuals (+14.8 per cent), alongside a 6.1 per cent increase in the refugee population. This occurred even as the number of asylum-seekers recorded a notable decrease (-5.5 per cent), suggesting a shift in the legal status of those seeking safety, potentially as a result of status determination processes or specific protection pathways.

Behind these stark numbers, the demographic profile of the nearly one million individuals under UNHCR’s mandate reveals a significant gender imbalance. The population is predominantly of working age (18-59 years), yet within this largest cohort, females account for 31 per cent of the total population, compared to just 17.7 per cent for males. This disparity underscores distinct protection needs and highlights the importance of gender-responsive programming and integration support.

The data on the origins of refugees further underscores the theme of concentration, with one country of origin accounting for a disproportionately high number of the total refugee population. This reflects how a single large-scale international crisis can fundamentally reshape the protection landscape within a host country, driving both the overall increase in numbers and the specific demographic characteristics of the displaced population.

Demographics

AI Insight: Treemap of the 646,000 individuals in the population of concern in the United Kingdom by category, where one group constitutes the vast majority of the total., This treemap visualizes the breakdown of the 646,000 individuals in UNHCR’s population of concern in the United Kingdom as of 2024. The total population is divided into seven categories, with sizes represented by the area of the rectangles. The data shows a highly skewed distribution. One category is overwhelmingly dominant, comprising 515,677 individuals, which is approximately 80% of the total. The next largest category contains 64,728 individuals. The remaining five categories are significantly smaller, with a median population size of just 389 individuals, and at least two categories having a count of zero. This visualization starkly highlights that the vast majority of humanitarian concern is concentrated within a single population type in the UK.

AI Insight: Population pyramid of UNHCR’s populations of concern in the United Kingdom by age and gender for 2024, where the 18-59 age group is the largest cohort and contains a significantly higher proportion of females than males., This population pyramid displays the age and gender distribution for the 999,733 individuals under UNHCR’s mandate in the United Kingdom as of 2024. The data is fully disaggregated by gender.

The vertical axis is segmented into six age groups, while the horizontal axis represents the percentage of the total population, with females on one side and males on the other. The pyramid’s shape is characterized by a wide middle section, indicating that the majority of the population is of working age (18-59).

A key finding is the significant gender imbalance. Across all age groups, the average proportion for females is 9.5% compared to 7.2% for males. This disparity is most pronounced in the 18-59 age group, which contains the largest share of the population for both genders. Within this cohort, females account for 31.0% of the total population, while males account for only 17.7%. The proportions in younger and older age groups are substantially smaller, with the smallest cohorts representing just 0.3% of the population for each gender.

Geography & Movements

Geography and Movements: The United Kingdom

The data reveals a protection landscape in flux within the United Kingdom, shaped profoundly by the scale and geography of recent global crises. Analysis of displacement trends from 2019 to 2025 shows a significant shift in the primary countries of origin for those seeking refuge. This dynamic evolution has culminated in a highly concentrated refugee population as of 2024. One nationality now accounts for 255,141 individuals, a figure that is a substantial outlier and highlights the disproportionate impact of a single major conflict on the UK’s asylum and protection systems. Behind this stark number, the distribution of other nationalities is more evenly spread, with the median population for the top origin countries standing at 21,978. This concentration underscores how singular, large-scale events can rapidly alter the composition of displaced populations within a host country, demanding agile and targeted responses from protection and integration services.

In stark contrast to its role as a significant host country, the United Kingdom is not a major source of refugees or other forcibly displaced populations. As a high-income country, the number of individuals under UNHCR’s mandate originating from the UK is minimal. The data shows that these individuals are scattered across 22 destination countries, with a median of just 12 persons per country, reflecting the sporadic nature of these cases.

However, even within these low absolute numbers, a pattern of concentration emerges. While most host countries report very few individuals from the UK, the movements are not diffuse. One primary destination country provides sanctuary for a disproportionate share, hosting 3,963 individuals. This constitutes a significant outlier when compared to the other top destinations, where the median number of hosted persons is 136. This pattern suggests that while the overall outflow is small, the pathways for those seeking protection from the United Kingdom lead predominantly towards a single, specific location. This dual analysis of inflows and outflows paints a picture of the UK as a key destination shaped by global turmoil, while its own nationals who are forcibly displaced are few and follow highly concentrated routes.

AI Insight: Choropleth map of destination countries for refugees and other persons of concern from the United Kingdom, where the number of individuals is concentrated in a few countries, with a maximum of 340 people in a single destination., This world map illustrates the distribution of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other persons of concern originating from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2024. The data is visualized using a color scale, where darker shades represent a higher number of individuals hosted in a country.

Statistical analysis reveals that a total of 22 countries host individuals from the UK who fall under UNHCR’s mandate. The number of persons per country is generally low, ranging from 0 to a maximum of 340. The distribution is highly skewed, with a median of 12 people per destination country, while the average is significantly higher at 48.2. This indicates that most countries host a very small number of individuals, while a few host a disproportionately larger population. Specifically, 75% of the countries have fewer than 27 individuals from the UK.

Contextually, the United Kingdom is a high-income country and not a typical source of large-scale displacement. The relatively small numbers shown on the map reflect this. The individuals included in this data may encompass various situations, including asylum claims and cases of statelessness.

Origin of Displaced Populations

AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in the UK in 2024, where the top country of origin accounts for a substantially higher number of refugees than the others., This horizontal bar chart displays the number of refugees in the United Kingdom as of 2024, broken down by the top nine countries of origin plus an ‘Other’ category. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution. The country with the highest number of refugees accounts for 255,141 individuals, which is a significant outlier. In contrast, the lowest count among the top countries is 5,968. The median number of refugees per country of origin is 21,978, while the mean is substantially higher at 51,568. This difference between the mean and median, along with a large standard deviation of 74,594, highlights the disproportionate contribution of the top country of origin to the total refugee population shown. The middle 50% of the countries listed have refugee populations ranging from 15,799 to 50,626.

AI Insight: Alluvial chart of the top origins of forcibly displaced populations in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2025, where the leading countries of origin have shifted significantly over the period., This alluvial chart illustrates the evolution of the top 12 countries of origin for forcibly displaced populations hosted in the United Kingdom between 2019 and 2025. The data is presented in thousands of people.

Each year from 2019 to 2025 is represented by a vertical axis, and colored bands flow between these axes to represent the population size from each country of origin. The thickness of a band is proportional to the number of people from that specific country in that year. This visualization effectively highlights changes in the composition and ranking of origin populations over time.

Statistically, the dataset includes 12 unique countries of origin, such as Afghanistan, Albania, Eritrea, and Iraq. The population counts for any single nationality in a given year range from 418 to a maximum of 263,747. This wide range, along with a high standard deviation (52,059), indicates significant variance and suggests that one or two origin groups have become substantially larger than others in recent years. The chart visualizes a dynamic situation where global events have likely caused a dramatic shift in the primary nationalities seeking refuge in the UK, altering the landscape of protection needs and integration services required.

Destination

AI Insight: Bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from the United Kingdom as of 2024, where one destination country hosts a significantly larger population than the other nine., This bar chart presents the top 10 destination countries for individuals forcibly displaced from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, based on 2024 data. The visualization highlights a highly skewed distribution of displaced persons. The primary destination country hosts 3,963 individuals, which is a significant outlier. The other nine countries host far fewer people, with numbers ranging from a minimum of 83 to a 75th percentile of 930. The median value across the ten countries is 136, indicating that half of these top destinations host fewer than 136 people each. The mean is 816, a value heavily skewed by the single top destination. This distribution demonstrates that one country is the primary sanctuary for this population, while the remaining destinations accommodate much smaller, more comparable numbers.

Asylum System

Asylum Systems Under Strain

National asylum systems continue to face significant strain from a high number of new claims, a trend exemplified by the United Kingdom. The data reveals a pronounced upward trend in asylum applications lodged between 2019 and 2024, placing unprecedented pressure on the country’s reception and processing capacities. A direct consequence of this influx is a growing backlog of cases awaiting a decision. The widening gap between the cumulative applications received and the number of first-instance decisions rendered highlights that the system’s capacity has been outpaced by the volume of new arrivals. This translates into prolonged periods of uncertainty for asylum-seekers, with significant implications for their well-being and integration prospects.

An analysis of decision pathways in 2024 reveals the complex journey of claims through the legal process. The data illustrates substantial flows from an initial decision through the appeal stage to a final outcome, with a significant pathway involving initially refused claims proceeding to the appeal system. This multi-stage process underscores the procedural complexities and potential bottlenecks that contribute to overall processing times.

Behind these stark numbers, the data also shows that an individual’s country of origin remains a critical determinant in the outcome of their claim. Refugee recognition rates for the top 10 nationalities by decision volume varied dramatically in 2024, from as low as 8.2 per cent to as high as 63.5 per cent. This disparity highlights the diverse protection needs of those arriving in the UK. While the UK system grapples with this high volume of claims from diverse origins, it is also noted that a small number of its own nationals seek protection abroad, albeit with generally low recognition rates, underscoring the universal nature of the right to seek asylum.

AI Insight: Bar chart of total asylum applications and decisions in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2024, where the total volume of cases shows a significant increasing trend over the period., This bar chart illustrates the annual totals for asylum applications and decisions in the United Kingdom between 2019 and 2024. The analysis reveals a pronounced upward trend in asylum-related activities during this timeframe. The dataset covers 21 observations across three distinct stages of the asylum process. Statistically, the total number of cases per year ranges from a minimum of 9,108 to a peak of 125,060. The average number of cases across the period is approximately 54,552. The data distribution is skewed towards the lower end, which, combined with the high maximum value, indicates that the volume of applications and decisions was substantially higher in the later years of the period compared to the earlier years. It is noted that under certain circumstances, one person may have more than one application, meaning the figures represent case counts rather than unique individuals.

AI Insight: Parallel sets plot of Refugee Status Determination decision flows in the UK for 2024, where applications are traced from an initial decision through an appeal process to a final outcome., This parallel sets plot visualizes the pathways of 1,826,888 Refugee Status Determination (RSD) decisions recorded in the United Kingdom in 2024. The chart illustrates the flow of asylum cases through distinct stages of the legal process.

The visualization is structured into three primary columns, representing the progression from an initial decision, through the appeal stage, to the final recorded status. The thickness of the bands connecting the categories is proportional to the number of decisions in that specific pathway. The data shows significant flows from initial decisions, such as ‘Convention refugee status granted’ or ‘Refused’, to their final outcomes. A key pathway illustrated is the flow of initially refused cases into the appeal system. The largest single flow shown in the dataset involves over 240,000 decisions, indicating a major pathway in the system.

For UNHCR, this analysis is critical for monitoring the UK’s asylum system. It provides insights into decision-making trends at different stages, the volume of appeals, and the ultimate protection outcomes for asylum-seekers. Understanding these flows helps identify potential bottlenecks or inconsistencies in the process and informs advocacy for a fair and efficient asylum procedure.

AI Insight: Area chart of cumulative asylum applications versus decisions in the UK from 2020 to 2024, where the widening gap between applications and decisions illustrates a significant increase in case backlogs and processing times., This cumulative area chart visualizes the performance of the asylum system in the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2024 by comparing the total number of applications received against the total number of first-instance decisions made. The x-axis represents the years, and the y-axis shows the cumulative count of cases. The upper line represents cumulative applications, while the lower line represents cumulative decisions. The shaded area between these two lines visually represents the growing backlog of pending cases. The data shows a sharp and continuous rise in cumulative applications, reaching over 500,000 by the end of the period. While the number of decisions also increases, it does so at a substantially slower rate. This divergence results in a progressively widening gap, indicating that the system’s capacity to process claims has been outpaced by the volume of new applications. For UNHCR, this trend is a critical indicator of systemic strain, highlighting prolonged periods of uncertainty for asylum seekers, which can have severe impacts on their well-being, protection, and integration prospects.

Recognition Rates

AI Insight: Bar chart of Refugee Recognition Rate by Country of Origin in the UK for 2024, where rates for the top 10 countries by decision volume vary significantly, from 8.2% to 63.5%., This bar chart displays the 2024 refugee recognition rates in the United Kingdom for asylum seekers from the top 10 countries of origin, ranked by the total number of asylum decisions made. The chart visually compares the percentage of positive decisions for refugee status across these nationalities.

Statistical analysis reveals a significant variation in outcomes. Across these ten countries, the average refugee recognition rate is 27.4%, with a median of 22.1%. However, the rates are widely dispersed (standard deviation of 16.1%), ranging from a low of 8.2% to a high of 63.5%. This disparity underscores that an asylum seeker’s country of origin is a critical factor in the outcome of their claim in the UK.

The data also includes a broader ‘Total Recognition Rate,’ which combines refugee status with complementary protection. This rate has an average of 34.2% and ranges from 12.5% to 66.5%, indicating that complementary protection is a significant pathway to safety for some nationalities. The number of total decisions for these countries is substantial, ranging from 62,049 to 200,734, highlighting that these rates apply to the largest caseloads handled by the UK.

AI Insight: Bar chart of the 2024 refugee recognition rate for UK nationals by the top 10 countries of asylum, where the recognition rates are generally low, with a maximum of 17.5%., This vertical bar chart displays the 2024 refugee recognition rates for nationals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The data is presented for the top 10 countries of asylum, which are ordered by the total number of asylum decisions made, regardless of the outcome.

The analysis covers 10 countries where a total of 2,130 decisions were made (mean of 213 per country, ranging from 45 to 748). Out of these, 148 individuals were granted refugee status, and an additional 42 received complementary protection.

The primary metric, the Refugee Recognition Rate (percentage of individuals granted refugee status), shows significant variation. The average rate across these countries is 5.04%, with values ranging from 0% to a high of 17.5%.

When considering the Total Recognition Rate, which includes both refugee status and complementary forms of protection, the average rate increases to 10.6%, with a maximum of 38.8%. This indicates that in some countries, complementary protection is a more common outcome for applicants from the UK than formal refugee status.

Solutions

Solutions: A Widening Gap Between Protection and Permanence

The pursuit of durable solutions—the cornerstone of international protection—faced a profound challenge, as the number of people in need of such solutions continued to far outpace their availability. An analysis of trends in the United Kingdom reveals a complex picture of both laudable efforts and a significant, widening gap between granting protection and securing long-term stability for refugees.

The data reveals a notable acceleration in the provision of solutions, which peaked in 2023 with 16,116 individuals finding a pathway to permanence. This constitutes a dramatic rise from the lows of 2020, when pandemic-related disruptions limited solutions to just 823, and a significant increase from the 9,197 solutions recorded in 2022. Behind these stark numbers, the data also suggests a broadening of the solution pathways being utilized, indicating a more robust and diversified approach in recent years.

However, this encouraging trend must be viewed in the context of a much larger and faster-growing population of newly recognized refugees. The gap between protection and permanence reached its widest point in 2023, when 60,333 people were granted asylum or another form of protection. This means that for every refugee who found a durable solution that year, nearly four others, despite having their status confirmed, remained in a protracted state of uncertainty, unable to fully rebuild their lives.

This imbalance underscores a critical challenge for host countries. While the commitment to providing protection is evident in the rising recognition rates—spurred by global crises and efforts to address asylum backlogs—it must be matched by an equivalent scaling of resources and opportunities for genuine, long-term integration. The growing population of recognized refugees awaiting a durable solution highlights the urgent need to bridge this critical divide and invest in systems that not only save lives but also enable them to be lived in dignity and safety.

AI Insight: Column chart of solutions for forcibly displaced people in the UK by year from 2019 to 2025, where the number of solutions peaked significantly in 2023 after a sharp increase from 2021., This column chart displays the trends in durable solutions for forcibly displaced people in the United Kingdom for the years 2019 through 2025. The data reveals a notable fluctuation over this period.

In 2019, the mean number of solutions was 1,403. This figure saw a sharp decline in 2020 to a mean of 206, likely reflecting the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on processing and resettlement activities. A slight recovery began in 2021 with a mean of 398.

A significant surge occurred in 2022, with the mean number of solutions increasing to 2,299 and the maximum value for a single solution category reaching 8,009. This upward trend accelerated dramatically into 2023, which represents the peak year in the dataset, with a mean of 4,029 and a maximum value of 15,384. This indicates a substantial increase in the scale of solutions being implemented.

Interestingly, the median value for solutions was zero from 2019 to 2021, suggesting that for at least half of the solution categories, there were no recorded cases. From 2022 onwards, the median becomes positive and substantial (594 in 2022, peaking at 928 in 2024), indicating a broader application of different types of solutions across the board.

The data for 2024 and 2025 shows a decrease from the 2023 peak, with means of 1,964 and 873 respectively. As the data is current ‘as of 2024’, these later years may represent partial data or future projections.

AI Insight: Line chart of refugee recognitions versus available solutions in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2025, where the number of recognitions consistently and significantly surpasses the number of solutions, with the gap widening to a peak in 2023., This dual-line chart with a shaded area compares the annual number of refugee recognitions against available durable solutions in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 2019 to 2025.

The vertical axis represents the count of individuals, and the horizontal axis represents the years. Two lines are plotted: one for ‘refugee recognitions’ (individuals granted asylum or similar protection) and one for ‘solutions’ (such as resettlement or integration).

The key insight is the substantial and growing gap between the number of people recognized as refugees and the availability of long-term solutions.

Detailed breakdown of the data: - In 2019, there were 16,566 recognitions and 5,612 solutions. - In 2020, figures dropped to 9,108 recognitions and 823 solutions. - In 2021, numbers rose to 13,703 recognitions and 1,591 solutions. - In 2022, there was a further increase to 18,551 recognitions and 9,197 solutions. - 2023 saw a dramatic peak, with 60,333 recognitions and 16,116 solutions, marking the widest gap in the period. - For 2024, the numbers are 37,021 recognitions and 7,855 solutions. - For 2025, the data shows 27,414 recognitions and 3,493 solutions.

Overall, both metrics show an upward trend from 2020 to 2023, but the scale of refugee recognitions far outpaces the provision of solutions, indicating a growing population of recognized refugees awaiting a durable solution.