Glossary
Plain English. No jargon. Every term used on this site, defined.
Asylum seeker
A person who has applied for refugee status and is waiting for a decision. They have not been granted permission to stay. They cannot usually work: those still waiting after 12 months, through no fault of their own, may apply for permission, and are then restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List. The Home Office houses and supports them while their claim is processed.
Refugee
A person granted refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention. They have legal permission to stay in the UK, can work, and can access public services. Not every successful claim ends in refugee status: some are granted humanitarian protection instead, which is a different status. The terms 'asylum seeker' and 'refugee' are not interchangeable.
Migrant
Anyone who moves from one country to another. This includes students, workers, family members, and asylum seekers. It is not a legal status. Using 'migrant' and 'asylum seeker' interchangeably is inaccurate.
Dispersal accommodation
Housing provided by the Home Office to asylum seekers outside London and the South East. Typically flats or houses in areas with lower housing costs. Managed by private contractors (Serco, Mears, Clearsprings).
Contingency accommodation
Temporary housing used when dispersal accommodation is full. Usually hotels, hostels, or former military barracks. More expensive per person than dispersal housing. Not intended to be long-term.
Initial accommodation
Short-term housing for new asylum seekers while their support application is processed. Typically large hostel-style sites. People are supposed to stay for a few weeks but backlogs mean some stay months.
Subsistence only
Asylum seekers who receive financial support but arrange their own accommodation, usually staying with friends or family. They get a cash allowance but no housing from the Home Office.
Section 95 support
The main form of asylum support, named after Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Covers accommodation and/or subsistence for destitute asylum seekers while their claim is being considered.
Section 98 support
Emergency support for asylum seekers who appear destitute and need immediate accommodation. Temporary, pending a full Section 95 assessment.
Decision backlog
The number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision from the Home Office. Cost per person varies enormously with how they are housed, and no single per-day figure covers the whole backlog: hotel places cost far more than dispersal housing, and most people waiting are not in hotels.
Grant rate
The percentage of asylum claims that are approved (granted refugee status or humanitarian protection) at initial decision. Varies enormously by nationality.
Small boats
Irregular Channel crossings in small vessels, typically inflatable dinghies. The dominant route the Home Office records under 'illegal entry' since 2020. Most crossings are facilitated by organised criminal gangs. Arriving without permission is an offence, but claiming asylum is not: Article 31 of the Refugee Convention bars penalising refugees for irregular entry where they come directly and present themselves promptly.
Safe and legal routes
Official pathways for refugees to enter the UK without making an irregular journey. Includes the UK Resettlement Scheme, Afghan schemes (ARAP/ACRS), and Homes for Ukraine.
Homes for Ukraine
A visa scheme launched in March 2022 allowing UK residents to sponsor Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war. Sponsors provide accommodation for at least six months. Distinct from the asylum system.
Afghan programme
Two schemes: ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) for interpreters and staff who worked with UK forces, and ACRS (Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme) for vulnerable Afghans. Some remain in bridging hotels years later.
White British Index
The percentage of a local authority's population identifying as White British in the Census. Used in demographic projections to track compositional change over time. Not a value judgement. A statistical measure.
Hamilton-Perry method
A demographic projection technique that uses the ratio of population change between two census periods to project forward. Simpler than cohort-component models. Does not require fertility/mortality/migration estimates.
Pressure index
A composite score combining four domains, weighted equally: asylum support rate, demographic change speed, growth in pupils with an EHC plan, and adult social care spend per adult. Higher scores indicate councils under more combined pressure. Police recorded crime was a fifth domain until 12 October 2026.
SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Measured here by pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan on the January school census, from DfE. In England they rose by about two thirds between 2020/21 and 2025/26.
Adult social care (ASC)
Services provided by councils for adults who need help with daily living due to illness, disability, or old age. Includes home care, residential care, and day services. One of the largest areas of council spending.
IMD
Index of Multiple Deprivation. The government's official measure of how deprived an area is, combining income, employment, education, health, crime, housing, and environment. Rank 1 is the most deprived.
Prime provider
The main contractor responsible for asylum accommodation in a region. There are seven regional contracts, held by three companies: Clearsprings Ready Homes (South of England, Wales), Serco (Midlands and East, North West) and Mears (North East and Yorkshire, Scotland, Northern Ireland). They subcontract to local landlords and hotel operators.
UKVI
UK Visas and Immigration. The Home Office division that processes asylum claims, visa applications, and immigration decisions.
NAO
National Audit Office. The independent body that scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament. Their reports on asylum accommodation costs are a primary source for this site.
Home Office
The government department responsible for immigration, asylum, policing, and national security. Makes all decisions on asylum claims and manages the asylum support system through contractors.