Asylum Claims: Religious Conversion

Baroness Maclean of Redditch Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Maclean of Redditch]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of asylum claims based on religious conversion.

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)]

The Government do not publish statistics on asylum claims based on religious conversion. All claims, including those based on religious conversion, are carefully assessed individually in accordance with our international obligations and in line with our published guidance. Claims based on religious conversion do not guarantee a grant of refugee status.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Con)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer, but I am sure that many other noble Lords will be surprised to hear that the Home Office does not publish such statistics. Given the salience of asylum claims and the number of illegal migrants coming to our shores, it would very much help the community and the country if we could see the number of conversions, for Christianity and any other religion, that are grounds for someone being granted asylum. Will the Minister please look again at his department and publish that data for us to scrutinise?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

As the noble Baroness will know, more than 111,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025. Almost half of the initial decisions—48%—were grants, which means that 52% were not. We do not keep statistics on individual religious conversion aspects. We take that into account and will make a judgment on the case before the examiner in each individual case.