Iranian migration to the UK in 7 charts

by Mihnea Cuibus

The conflict between Israel and Iran has prompted questions about the potential impact of protracted violence on refugee movements in the region, as well as to the UK. In recent years, Iran has been the most common country of nationality among asylum applicants and small boat arrivals to the UK, and the UK has been the most common European destination for Iranian asylum seekers. At the time of the Census in 2021/22, there were around 114,000 Iranian-born people living in the UK. This commentary examines data on Iranian migration to the UK through 7 charts.

Around 62,000 Iranian citizens applied for asylum in the UK between 2015 and 2024 – more than any other nationality. They were followed by citizens of Afghanistan, Albania, and Iraq.

Figure 1

In 2024, Iran was the third most common country of nationality among asylum seekers in 2024, after Pakistan and Afghanistan. The number of asylum applications in the UK increased sharply after 2020, including among Iranians – there were 8,100 applications from Iranian nationals in 2024, roughly twice as many as in 2020. However, applications from some other top nationalities saw bigger increases.

Figure 2

Around two-thirds of all initial decisions on Iranian asylum applications in 2024 were positive, meaning that Iranians had a higher grant rate than many other top nationalities, including Afghan, Pakistani, and Iraqi citizens. It was considerably lower than for Sudan, Syria, and Eritrea.

Figure 3

Iranians also made up the largest group among people crossing the English Channel in small boats since 2018, when significant arrivals started being recorded. Around 26,000 Iranians had arrived by small boat by 2024, 17% of all arrivals.

Figure 4

Iranian small boat arrivals peaked in 2021 at around 8,300 and declined in the following years. In 2024, approximately 4,200 Iranians crossed the Channel. They were the third most common nationality that year, after Afghan and Syrian nationals.

Figure 5

The UK was the top European destination for Iranian asylum seekers in 2024, followed by Germany. Germany and the UK have received many more applications from Iranians than other European states in recent years (Germany received the most in 2023, while the UK was first in 2021 and 2020).

Figure 6

In 2024, the UK was more likely to grant protection to Iranian asylum seekers than some other top European destinations. At 67%, the initial decision grant rate in the UK was almost twice as large as in Germany or Sweden (though comparable to the Netherlands or Greece).

Figure 7