Accredited official statistics

Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation 2023

Published 22 August 2024

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All statistics here relate to the number of asylum claims made where a person’s sexual orientation formed part of the basis of their claim. The data include claims with a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) element, but other forms of sexual or gender identity may also be considered when addressing a claim. Asylum claims where sexual orientation formed part of the basis for the claim will be hereafter referred to as LGB claims.

Data relates to the year 2023 and most comparisons are with the year 2022. Factors such as data recording, data time lag and the need for asylum seekers to explicitly mention sexual orientation during their application to be recorded will impact the number of recorded LGB applications. Additional information about the limitations of these statistics can be found in the ‘About the statistics’ section below.

1. Asylum applications with a sexual orientation element

Data in this section refer to asylum applications from main applicants made in 2023.

In 2023, 2% of asylum claims in the UK (1,377 claims) included sexual orientation as part of the basis for the claim (LGB asylum applications).

Figure 1: LGB asylum applications¹ lodged in the UK, 2015 to 2023

Source: Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation - Table SOC_01 and Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement - Asy_D01

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.

The number of LGB claims in 2023 almost halved (49% decrease) compared to 2022, but remain a similar proportion of overall claims (2% this year versus 3% the previous year).

Pakistani nationals accounted for the largest number of LGB asylum applications in each of the last 6 years and accounted for 42% of all LGB applications in 2023 (578 applications). In contrast, Pakistani nationals were the fourth most common nationality for all asylum applications (and accounted for just 6% of overall asylum applications).

For the majority of nationalities, LGB asylum applications accounted for a small proportion of overall number of asylum applications. There are a few notable exceptions to this, such as Uganda. Although the total number of Ugandan asylum applications were relatively small (1,536 applications from 2015 to 2023), 49% of the asylum applications received from Ugandan nationals were applications with an LGB element to the claim.

Figure 2: LGB asylum applications¹ lodged in the UK for top nationalities, 2015 to 2023

Source: Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation - Table SOC_01 and Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement - Asy_D01

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.

2. Initial Decisions

Data in this section refer to initial decisions made on asylum applications in the calendar year 2023. Decisions may relate to an application made in an earlier year, and therefore are not directly comparable with applications over the same period.

The grant rate for asylum claims with a sexual orientation basis in 2023 was 62%, similar to the grant rate for non-LGB asylum claims in that period (67%).

In 2023, there were 3,430 initial decisions made on LGB asylum applications (main applicants only). Figure 2 shows a large increase in decisions in 2023 (3,430 decisions, up from 1,050 in 2022), which was in line with recent trends for all asylum decisions.

Figure 3: Initial decision¹ on LGB asylum applications, and the grant rates² on such applications, 2015 to 2023

Source: Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation - Table SOC_01 and Table SOC_02

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.
2. Grant rate is the proportion of initial decisions which resulted in a grant of protection or other leave. Grant rate is based on the year of the initial decision and is not directly comparable to applications, which are based on the date the asylum application was made.

The grant rate for LGB asylum applications in 2023 increased to 62% (up from 44% in 2019). This is similar to the overall grant rate for all asylum applications (67%), which has also risen over this period.

Due to the rise in the number of decisions and the grant rate, there were 2,133 grants in 2023, the highest number of LGB grants in any year since this series was introduced.

Grant rates can vary for several reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK, as well as changes in operational or policy decisions.

Figure 4: Grant rates at initial decision¹ on LGB and non-LGB asylum applications, for the top nationalities with an LGB element to their claim² and for all, 2023

Source: Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation - Table SOC_02

Notes:

1. Main applicants only.
2. Nationalities are those with at least 50 grants made on asylum claims with a sexual orientation basis in 2023.

Figure 4 shows that the asylum grant rates for LGB cases vary for different nationalities. Overall, the grant rate for LGB claims (62%) in 2023 is similar to the grant rate for non-LGB claims (67%). However, nationalities who more commonly claim asylum on the basis of sexual orientation typically see higher grant rates for LGB applications than for non-LGB applications.

Not all of these individuals will necessarily have been granted protection on the basis of their sexual orientation. Similarly, other LGB asylum seekers may be granted protection without referencing their sexual orientation in their claims, and therefore would not be included in these figures.

3. Appeals

LGB asylum appeals data for 2022 and 2023 was not available at the time of data extraction for this release, due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration system statistics release. The most recent available data, to 2021, can be found in the previous release.

4. About the statistics

These statistics show the number of asylum claims where sexual orientation was raised as a basis, or part of the basis, of the claim. Additionally, information is provided on initial decisions and appeals relating to claims where sexual orientation was raised as a basis, or part of the basis, of the claim.

The statistics do not show:

• whether sexual orientation was the sole basis for the asylum claim
• whether sexual orientation was raised as the basis of the asylum claim at the time the claim was made, or whether it was raised at a later stage (such as at appeal)
• whether the sexual orientation element of the claim has any bearing on the outcome; for example, a claim may be based on multiple factors; the outcome of the claim may or may not be due to the sexual orientation element
• the number of asylum claimants who define themselves as LGB; having an identifier that an asylum case is based on sexual orientation does not indicate that a claimant has any particular sexual orientation; it also does not signify whether that aspect of the claim has been accepted.
• whether the sexual orientation element of the claim had any bearing on the appeal being lodged, or the outcome of the appeal
• any individuals at risk of persecution due, in part or in full, to a sexual orientation component who have been granted protection through other routes, such as resettlement routes

Applicants are not required to disclose their sexual orientation when applying for asylum. Therefore, these statistics reflect the claims made by asylum applicants and do not reflect a confirmed sexual orientation of the applicant.

Some individuals may have less reason to mention sexual orientation when making a claim because it may not be a significant factor in their case for protection. Such cases would be under-represented in these statistics.

The data presents information on asylum claims, initial decisions, and appeals where sexual orientation was raised as part of the basis for the claim at some stage prior to reaching a final outcome. The sexual orientation element could be raised at any stage of the process (for example, as part of the asylum case, appeal, or as part of other casework), but may not form either the sole basis, or one of the grounds for the claim, or the decision.

Data on sexual orientation was not routinely recorded in a reportable format prior to 2015. This means that sexual orientation claims raised before 2015 that had an initial decision in 2015 or later may not be counted in the initial decisions data (unless the flag was raised in 2015 or later). Similarly, an appeal relating to an application raised prior to 2015 may not be included in the data if the sexual orientation element was raised before 2015. Therefore, the number of initial decisions and appeals may be an undercount. This will affect earlier years to a greater extent than more recent years, so trends over time should be interpreted with caution.

The recording of references to sexual orientation is likely to have improved in recent years. However, users should exercise caution when making comparisons over time, as the data could be impacted by changes in recording practices.

Like other data derived from administrative data, these numbers are correct as at the time of data extraction and may be updated in subsequent statistics releases.

These statistics, previously classed as Experimental statistics (now known as statistics ‘in development’), are now classed as Official Statistics. This is in line with the Official Statistics policy.

5. Data tables

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

For data on applications, decisions and appeals for all asylum cases:

• Asylum tables

For data on applications, decisions and appeals for asylum cases where sexual orientation formed part of the basis for the claim:

• Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation tables

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See section 6 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.