Displacement & The UK Asylum System
About 120 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Every single one of these people did not simply leave a place, they left a belonging, a community, an identity.
They leave their present lives in search of safer ones.
42.7 MILLION
of these are refugees (people that have fled their countries due to conflict or persecution).
67%
of refugees stay in neighbouring countries.
0.7%
of the UK’s population are refugees.
For up-to-date, legally accurate, and accessible information on the UK immigration and asylum system visit https://righttoremain.org.uk/
The reasons as to why someone migrates are multiple and complex.
Migration can be caused by economic prospects and difficulties, to reunite with relatives, or to receive an education. It could be that one has been forced to flee persecution or human rights violations. It could be due to droughts, fires, and other types of land degradation and climate emergencies. It could be because of political affliction, armed conflict, or other crises or violence. Or it could be that someone has been targeted because of who they are and what they believe in – for example, their ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, and/or political opinion.
People can be forcibly displaced internally (within their own countries) or internationally (outside their home countries border). When displaced interntationally, most seek refuge in neighbouring countries or aim to reach family elsewhere.
The search for safety can be very long, dangerous, and traumatising. Some people risk becoming victims of human trafficking, slavery, and other forms of exploitation. Some are detained by authorities for long periods of time. Many live in limbo with no right to work, little to live by, and the fear of being detained or deported. Some have started to settle and continue to face daily racism, xenophobia, and discrimination. Most people feel isolated and alone because they have lost their support networks and their previous known environment and life.
Definitions: Who is a refugee, an asylum seeker, and a migrant?
The experience of leaving their town, city, or country of origin does not capture who these displaced people are. Because of this, we need to see the individual rather than the label, and recognise that the terms ‘refugee’, ‘migrant’, and ‘asylum seeker’ are instituted terms and are temporary. Like all of us, these people’s identities, cultures, religions, and experiences are unique. A person’s legal status cannot express their full identity and personality.
There are millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as health care, education, employment, and freedom of movement. Simply because these people don’t fit the legal definition of a refugee, they could still be in danger if they were to go home. They should be entitled to have their human rights protected and respected, regardless of the status they have in the place they moved to.
A Refugee
A refugee is a person who has fled their home country and has been granted protection to stay in another country. This is because the country they have been granted legal proctection in recognises that they were at risk of serious human rights violations, such as violence, conflict, war, or persecution for reasons of race, gender, religion, nationality, membership of a social group, or political opinion in their home country.
Globally, there are almost 41.6 million refugees, half of whom are under the age of 18. Refugees have a right to international protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention. If granted protection by the UK government, this usually will initially be for a period of 1 – 3 years.
For some Syrian, Afghan, and Ukrainian nationals the UK government has approved ‘Resettlement Schemes’, where people are granted refugee status on arrival. To who this applies to, how long they will be granted protection for, what support they will recieve, and their rights in the UK can vary and are unequal.
An Asylum Seeker
A person seeking asylum is someone who has been forcibly displaced from the country they were living in and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations, but who hasn’t been legally recognised as a refugee yet. This is because they are either going through the asylum process or are waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right, everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.
A Migrant
Despite there being no internationally accepted legal definition of a migrant, we understand these to be people staying outside their region or country of origin, who are not asylum-seekers or refugees.
Important: This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Asylum and immigration law can change, so anyone seeking asylum should get advice from a qualified lawyer or immigration adviser.
Find out more: The Right to Remain Toolkit provides free, up-to-date information about the UK asylum and immigration system.
Other resources: Refugee Council, Free Movement, British Red Cross.
Claiming Asylum
People who are afraid to return to their country because they may be persecuted or seriously harmed may be able to claim asylum in the UK. People arriving at the UK border can tell an immigration official that they want to claim asylum. Those already in the UK normally need to contact the Home Office's Asylum Intake Unit to arrange an appointment.
It is best to claim asylum as soon as possible. If someone does not claim asylum when they arrive, they may be asked to explain why, although a delay does not automatically mean that a claim will be refused.
The first stage is usually a short screening interview, followed by an asylum interview, where people are asked in detail about what has happened to them and why they are afraid to return. After screening, people will normally receive an Application Registration Card (ARC). This is a plastic card with a photograph which shows that an asylum claim is in progress. The ARC is different from an eVisa: an eVisa is a digital record of immigration status and does not replace the ARC while an asylum claim is still being considered.
Being asked to describe experiences of persecution, violence or abuse can be extremely difficult and may cause distress or re-traumatisation. The process can also involve long periods of uncertainty, with people sometimes waiting months for an interview or decision, while dealing with separation from family, financial difficulties or insecure accommodation.
People can provide documents or other evidence to support their claim, but a lack of documents does not prevent someone from claiming asylum. People seeking asylum can benefit from legal advice and support from friends, family or specialist organisations.
If an asylum claim is refused
If the Home Office refuses an asylum claim, the person will normally have the right to appeal to an independent immigration tribunal. An appeal gives the person an opportunity to challenge the decision and explain why they believe it is wrong. It is important to get legal advice as soon as possible because there are strict time limits for appealing. In some circumstances, further evidence or information may also be submitted.
If there is no right of appeal, or an appeal is unsuccessful, there may sometimes be other options, such as making further submissions where there is new and significantly different information that could create a realistic prospect of the claim succeeding.
Find out more: The Right to Remain Toolkit provides free, step-by-step information about the UK asylum and immigration system.
Accommodation and financial support
People seeking asylum who have nowhere to live or cannot support themselves financially may be provided with accommodation and financial support by the Home Office.
People generally cannot choose where they are housed. Accommodation can include houses, flats, hostels, hotels and other temporary accommodation, and people may be moved between different types of accommodation while their claim is being considered.
People receiving asylum support currently receive £49.18 per person per week. Where accommodation includes meals, the amount is £9.95 per person per week. Payments are normally made using an ASPEN card.
The accommodation and financial support provided to people seeking asylum is often limited. Living on a small weekly allowance, in temporary accommodation and away from family and familiar communities can be difficult and can add to the stress and uncertainty of the asylum process.
If an asylum claim is refused, support may end depending on the person's circumstances, although it can continue in some situations, including while certain appeal rights remain outstanding.
Working
People seeking asylum are normally not allowed to work while waiting for a decision.
In some circumstances, permission to work can be granted when an asylum claim has been outstanding for more than 12 months through no fault of the person seeking asylum. There are restrictions on the types of work that can be undertaken.
The restrictions on working can make it difficult for people to support themselves financially and can mean that people are unable to use their existing skills and experience while waiting for a decision.
Reporting
Some people seeking asylum are required to report regularly to the Home Office while their claim is being considered. Reporting requirements can also continue after an asylum claim has been refused.
For some people, regular reporting can be an additional source of stress, particularly when combined with limited finances, uncertainty about their immigration status and long waiting periods.
Detention
Some people seeking asylum may be detained under immigration powers, although detention does not happen to everyone. Immigration detention can be particularly difficult for people who have already experienced trauma, and can cause further distress and uncertainty while their immigration situation is being resolved.
International law and asylum
The UK's asylum system is part of the international refugee protection system. This is regardless of how and why they arrive in a country.
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are particularly important. They protect refugees from being returned to countries where they would face persecution for certain reasons.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution.
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) also provides important protections, including protection from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
Recent changes to the asylum system
The UK's asylum system has changed significantly in recent years. Some of the changes that continue to affect people seeking asylum include:
The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 introduced different rules for some refugees depending on how they arrived in the UK.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 changed the rules introduced by the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and repealed most of that Act.
For asylum claims made on or after 2 March 2026, people granted refugee status or humanitarian protection will normally initially receive 30 months' permission to stay.
Since 26 March 2026, permission to work granted to eligible asylum seekers is generally restricted to jobs at RQF level 6 or above.
New applications under the refugee family reunion route have been paused since September 2025, while the Government reviews the rules.
The Government is also considering further changes through the Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026. These are proposals and are not yet law.
What Can You Do
