Asylum in the UK — statistics for Russia
Russia nationals in the UK asylum system: how many apply, who gets protection, how long the wait is. Latest Home Office data for the year ending June 2026.
This is not legal advice. The numbers show what happens on average — your case may be different. For advice on your situation, ask an IAA‑accredited lawyer.
How applications from Russia are changing
Year‑by‑year trend of main applicants (excluding family members). Helps to see whether the flow is growing or shrinking.
Applications per year, 2015–2025
Source: Home Office
Outcomes by year, 2019–2024
Source: Home Office
How long people wait for a decision
As of 31 June 2026, 53 people from Russia are waiting for an initial decision. Below is how long they have been waiting.
Distribution by waiting time
Source: Home Office
What happens after
Figures on outcomes and returns for 2025.
Case outcomes
How case outcomes break down for Russia — compared with the UK average and post‑Soviet countries.
Decisions on cases from Russia
73 initial decisions on 2025 cases
Another 3 cases were withdrawn — not counted in the 100
Source: Home Office, 2025 cases
Rank among the 12 countries
How Russia compares with the other post‑Soviet countries by number of applications.
Applications ranking, 2020–2025
Source: Home Office
Share of the total flow
Source: Home Office, 2025 applications
Frequently asked questions
How many Russia nationals apply for asylum in the UK?
In 2025 — 93. This is a medium‑sized flow among post‑Soviet countries. Full 10‑year chart above.
What is the success rate for Russia nationals?
According to Home Office data for 2025 — 23%. This is below the UK average.
How long do people typically wait for a decision?
As of 31 June 2026, 53 people from Russia are in the queue. Of these, roughly 45% have been waiting more than a year. The average UK decision time is 12–18 months.
What happens after a refusal for Russia nationals?
In 2025 the Home Office carried out 1 enforced and 92 voluntary returns to Russia. In parallel: refusals can be appealed to the Tribunal (14‑day deadline); about half of appeals succeed. → More at /en/asylum-support/appeals/
Where can I find a lawyer for Russia cases?
On the /en/database/lawyers/ page — filter by specialisation and language. Importantly: free legal aid (Legal Aid) is available to those at initial decision stage who have not been refused a financial eligibility check.
What this means
Claims are few and have fallen for a third year running: 93 in 2025 against the 2022 peak of 456. In the first half of 2026: 32.
The grant rate is among the highest in the overview: 23% (17 grants of 73 initial decisions on claims made in 2025). That is markedly lower than on 2024 claims; 78% of 2025 claims have been decided, so the share will still be refined.
The queue is 53 cases as at 30 June 2026, and almost half of them (24) have waited over a year; with families that is 95 people. Citizenship stands apart: 2,270 people in 2025, more than any other of the 12 countries. That reflects applications from earlier years, not the current asylum flow.
Where these numbers come from
All data on this page is official Home Office statistics (Immigration System Statistics, quarterly release; current cut — year ending June 2026).
We count main applicants — as in the release tables.
We don't recalculate or estimate anything — we show the official figures in plain words and update the page after every release.
Download the data: CSV (asylum) · CSV (citizenship) · CSV (returns) · JSON
Data: Home Office, release 27 August 2026 (year ending June 2026). Country source — Data_Asy_D01/D04/D03.