The Refugee Council say that the UK hosts around 1% of the world’s refugees. In 1918 there 37,453 people applied for asylum in the UK (6% of total applications in the European Union). At 30 June 2019 only 0.04% of the UK’s asylum applicants were living in N Ireland.

It is not possible to say exactly how many annual applications there are locally because the Home Office does not release regular regional figures but there are a few hundred applications for asylum in N Ireland each year. Bryson Intercultural /Migrant Help in Belfast processed applications for asylum for around 340 people, including dependents, in 2018.

There were 840 people on asylum support in accommodation in N Ireland in March 2018 but there are always some more people having their applications considered who support themselves. There are small numbers of people from many countries.

Sources:

Refugee Council https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/refugee-asylum-facts/the-truth-about-asylum

House of Commons Library https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/insights/migration-statistics-how-many-asylum-seekers-and-refugees-are-there-in-the-uk/

Migration Observatory regional figures https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migration-to-the-uk-asylum/

Northern Ireland Housing Executive Public Authority Statutory Equality and Good Relations Duties Annual Progress Report 2017-18 – this contains a report of the Asylum Development Unit (p20), then subcontracted by the Home Office to manage temporary asylum accommodation.

Previous studies of N Ireland statistics:

‘New figures reveal 500 people seeking asylum in Northern Ireland’, The Detail web site, 2 October 2015 www.thedetail.tv/articles/500-seeking-aslyum-in-northern-ireland

Law Centre NI briefing, ‘How many asylum seekers and refugees are there in Northern Ireland?’ October 2015. Click here for pdf copy of this report.