Chinese nationals sought asylum abroad in near-record numbers in 2025, according to preliminary data compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), extending a sharp upward trend in recent years.
An estimated 178,725 Chinese citizens applied for asylum worldwide in 2025, based on the latest UNHCR figures. The total is slightly below the record set in 2024, but could still be revised upward when UNHCR finalizes its annual data. Finalized global asylum statistics are typically published the following year after data verification and consolidation.
Safeguard Defenders, a Madrid-based non-governmental human rights organization, said on Jan. 8 the latest figures show that Chinese asylum claims remain at historically high levels, far exceeding those recorded in earlier decades. During the tenure of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao, annual asylum applications from Chinese nationals typically ranged between about 7,000 and 21,000, the organization said, citing earlier UNHCR data….
Chinese Asylum Claims Near Record Levels in 2025, UN Data Show
