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Indian asylum applications in US surge by 855% over three years, reports show
In 2023, Indians ranked as the fifth-largest nationality group applying for defensive asylum and the seventh-largest for affirmative asylum.
Stock image. / Pew Research Center
The number of Indians seeking asylum in the United States has surged dramatically over the past three years, reflecting the enduring appeal of the American dream amid challenges at home.
Data from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveal a significant increase, with Indian asylum applications skyrocketing from 4,330 in the 2021 fiscal year to 41,330 in FY 2023—an 855 percent rise. Indian officials report that nearly half of these applicants come from Gujarat.
In 2023, Indians ranked as the fifth-largest nationality group applying for defensive asylum and the seventh-largest for affirmative asylum. The DHS's 2023 Asylees Annual Flow Report, published in October, confirmed that 5,340 Indians were granted asylum in that year alone.
The upward trend began in FY 2021, with 4,330 Indian asylum seekers recorded, comprising 2,090 affirmative applications submitted to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and 2,240 defensive applications. The following year, applications almost tripled to 14,570, with 5,370 affirmative and 9,200 defensive filings. By FY 2023, Indian asylum applications had reached a new peak of 41,330, nearly three times the previous year’s total.
Asylum grants have similarly grown, with 1,330 Indians granted asylum in FY 2021—700 through affirmative applications and 630 via defensive proceedings. This figure more than tripled in FY 2022 to 4,260, including 2,180 affirmative and 2,080 defensive grants. In FY 2023, the trend continued with 5,340 Indians receiving asylum, comprising 2,710 affirmative and 2,630 defensive cases, establishing India as the fifth-largest nationality for defensive asylum grants.
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