By Nationality

Asylum outcomes by nationality · FY2015–2025

South Africa: US Asylum Outcomes

Signature read: South Africa's 40.2% grant rate is among the lowest in the tracked nationality corpus. Grant rate sits in the lower third of tracked nationalities at 40.2% (below the 48.3% national average). Merits volume is mid-band at 251 decisions FY2015–2025.

Data updated 2026-09-05

40.2%
Asylum grant rate
59.8%
Asylum denial rate
251
Asylum decisions

South Africa in one line

South Africa's asylum grant rate is 40.2% (lower-third grant rate, below the 48.3% national average) across 251 FY2015-2025 merits decisions (mid-band volume).

40.2%
Asylum grant rate · Lower-third grant rate
251
Merits decisions · Mid-band volume
-8.1 pp
vs. national average
59.8%
Asylum denial rate
Statistical data only. South Africa's 59.8% denial-leaning history often tracks case mix and representation gaps, not a forecast for a future merits hearing. Consult a licensed immigration attorney.

South Africa vs all nationalities by asylum grant rate

Where this nationality's FY2015–2025 asylum grant rate sits among every tracked nationality (a case-outcome measure, not a quality ranking)

40.2% 148th of 196 higher than 48 of 196 nationalities

Nationalities, banded by asylum grant rate

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more nationalities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source DOJ EOIR asylum merits decisions · FY2015–2025

South Africa grant-rate neighbors

Lower-third grant-rate neighbors for South Africa (40.2%): ABS-closest nationalities on the FY2015–2025 merits ladder, with the 48.3% national average marked.

Hungary
42.7%
Somalia
42.3%
Senegal
42.2%
Thailand
41.5%
South Korea
40.9%
Germany
40.5%
Haiti
40.3%
South Africa
40.2%
Ecuador
40.0%
Belize
39.0%
Liberia
38.6%
United Kingdom
38.6%

Nationalities with a similar asylum caseload

Peers matched on FY2015–2025 merits-decision volume, a second axis from the grant-rate ladder above.

Lower-third grant-rate nationality South Africa (40.2%) in DOJ EOIR FOIA data. Statistical information only, not legal advice.

Read our methodology - how South Africa's 251-decision EOIR nationality row is sourced, computed, and verified.

DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) FOIA bulk case data for South Africa nationals; asylum grant rate 40.2%. PlainImmigration computed grant/denial aggregates FY2015–FY2025; Merits volume is mid-band at 251 decisions FY2015–2025.

Source: U.S. EOIR, Immigration Court Statistics South Africa asylum merits outcomes FY2015–2025 · 2025

Every figure on PlainImmigration is rendered directly from federal immigration court records, no number is typed in by an editor. South Africa's grant-rate and caseload figures are recomputed live from the EOIR case-level extract on every request, never hand-typed. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-05.