The global picture
At the end of 2024, 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of violence or persecution.
The majority (73%) of the world’s refugees and other people in need of international protection are currently living in low- and middle-income countries (with the highest numbers of refugees living in Iran, Turkey and Colombia).
Refugees and asylum seekers in the UK
According to data from the UNCHR, there are approximately 515,700 refugees in the UK. While data from the UK government shows that, as of June 2024, there were 224,742 ‘work in progress’ cases in the UK asylum system, including appeals and post-decision cases. Of these, 87,000 were awaiting an initial decision.
Most of our clients (67%) spent more than a year waiting to receive their refugee status, with some waiting considerably longer. Almost one in 20 waited longer than 10 years.
While they wait, most asylum seekers are not permitted to work, cannot choose where they live, and rely on government cash grants equivalent to £7 per day for food, sanitation and clothing.
Alternatively, many asylum seekers end up in detention centres, where conditions for them can be extremely challenging. 20,919 people entered immigration detention in the year ending March 2025 under immigration powers, 10% higher than the previous year.
Barriers to employment for refugees
Refugees living in the UK face a variety of barriers to employment, including:
- employment gaps on CVs due to the lengthy asylum process
- lack of UK work experience
- limited understanding of the UK job market and no professional networks
- non-recognition of qualifications
- language barriers
- cultural differences
- public misconceptions and discrimination.
As a result, refugees are around three times more likely to be unemployed than people born in the UK1. This is despite high levels of qualifications and skills. Our latest data indicates that almost three-quarters (71%) of people we supported in 2024-25 have at least an undergraduate degree or other Level 6 qualification. And 24% hold a master’s degree, PhD or other Level 7/8 qualification. Meanwhile, two-thirds had at least three years’ experience, while 30% had worked for 10 years or more.
A 2024 report from the Commission on the Integration of Refugees found that if applications for asylum were processed within six months to give faster access to the right to work, if refugees received tailored employment support after six months, and if refugees and asylum seekers received free English classes from arrival, there would be an overall net economic benefit of £1.2 billion for the UK economy within 5 years.
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1. Based on the 2023 unemployment rate for people who arrived seeking asylum (source: Migration Observatory), the Q4 2023 unemployment rate among UK-born individuals (source: ONS), and similar longitudinal data from COMPAS.
