In 2023, Indians became the fifth-largest nationality group applying for defensive asylum and the seventh-largest for affirmative asylum in the United States.

The number of Indians seeking asylum has risen significantly over the past three years, reflecting the persistent draw of the American dream despite challenges back home.

Data from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) show a striking increase in Indian asylum applications, soaring from 4,330 in the 2021 fiscal year to 41,330 in FY 2023—a rise of 855 percent. Indian officials state that nearly half of these applicants are from Gujarat.

In 2023, Indians ranked as the fifth-largest nationality group for defensive asylum applications and the seventh-largest for affirmative asylum requests. The DHS’s 2023 Asylees Annual Flow Report, released in October, revealed that 5,340 Indians were granted asylum that year.

The upward trend started in FY 2021, with 4,330 Indian asylum seekers, including 2,090 affirmative applications and 2,240 defensive applications. In the following year, applications nearly tripled to 14,570, with 5,370 affirmative and 9,200 defensive applications. By FY 2023, the number of Indian asylum requests had hit a new high of 41,330, almost three times the previous year’s figure.

Similarly, the number of asylum grants has also risen. In FY 2021, 1,330 Indians were granted asylum—700 through affirmative applications and 630 through defensive proceedings. This number more than tripled in FY 2022 to 4,260, with 2,180 affirmative and 2,080 defensive grants. In FY 2023, the trend continued with 5,340 Indians receiving asylum, including 2,710 affirmative and 2,630 defensive cases, making India the fifth-largest nationality for defensive asylum grants.