Britain's Role in the World
The claim
"Britain takes far more than its share of the world's refugees."
The headline facts
- The UK is 17th in Europe for asylum claims per head of population
- The UK takes around 8% of the EU+ total asylum applications
- The vast majority of the world's refugees are hosted by poorer, neighbouring countries — not wealthy Western nations
Graphic idea: European league table sorted per capita — UK at 17th. Replace with your finished graphic.
The full picture
Measured fairly — by population — the UK is a middling, not a leading, host of asylum seekers. In the year ending September 2024, the UK received the 5th largest number of asylum seekers in Europe, but this equated to just 8% of the EU+ total and the 17th largest intake per head of population. The most recent data shows applications have since fallen further, to around 76,700 in the year to March 2026.
Globally, the picture is even starker. The large majority of the world's refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries neighbouring crisis zones. Countries like Turkey, Iran, Colombia, Uganda and Pakistan each host millions of refugees — far more, relative to their wealth and population, than the UK. The idea that refugees all head for Britain is simply false.
Graphic idea: "Where do the world's refugees actually go?" world map emphasising neighbouring-country hosting. Replace with your finished graphic.
Graphic idea: pie chart — UK = ~8% of EU+ asylum claims. Replace with your finished graphic.