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 March 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 March 2026, 54 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
82 initial decisions on 2024 cases
Another 10 cases were withdrawn — not counted in the 100
Source: Home Office, 2024 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 — 95. 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 2024 — 44%. This is above the UK average (41%).
How long do people typically wait for a decision?
As of 31 March 2026, 54 people from Russia are in the queue. Of these, roughly 48% 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 91 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 falling for a third year: 95 in 2025 against the 2022 peak of 456.
The grant rate, though, is among the highest in this overview: 44% of initial decisions in 2024 were positive (36 of 82).
The queue is 54 cases, but nearly half (26) have waited over a year. Citizenship is the standout: 729 grants in 2025, more than any other of the 12 countries — the result of applications from earlier years rather than 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 March 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. Next release: 27 August 2026.
Download the data: CSV (asylum) · CSV (citizenship) · CSV (returns) · JSON
Data: Home Office, release 21 May 2026 (year ending March 2026). Country source — Data_Asy_D01/D04/D03.