The gender disaggregation showed that females comprised 29 per cent of the group and males 71 per cent. This is consistent with the national pattern of asylum applications, which are one third female. Age data from the same source demonstrated that 30 per cent of individuals in this group are under 18 years old, 59 per cent are between 18 and 35 years old and 11 per cent are over 35.76 This broadly reflects national trends in the age of asylumseekers. However, given that child asylum-seekers constituted only 8.5 per cent of the overall asylum seeking population in 2010,77 it does indicate that a higher proportion of potentially stateless asylum-seekers are children. This suggests that there may be a proportionately higher number of stateless children on the UK territory, when compared to the overall asylum seeking population. Outcome of the asylum application The grant and refusal rates for the asylum caseload within the published statistics are set out in Figures 8 and 9 below. The figures are based on initial decisions, so exclude withdrawn applications, appeals, and post-decision reviews. The grant rate for stateless persons was 47 per cent of which 97 per cent were grants of asylum.78 For those of “unknown or other” nationality the grant rate was 22 per cent, of which 43 per cent of those applicants were granted asylum. National trends for all asylum-seekers in 2010 indicated a refusal rate on all asylum applications of 75 per cent alongside a 25 per cent grant rate.79 These national averages include post-decision reviews and are not, like the data presented in this section, based solely on initial decisions. It is nonetheless safe to conclude that that published statistics show that since 2001 the grant rates in asylum claims made by persons identified as “stateless” are higher than average. This trend is even stronger amongst those who are identified as being stateless (i.e. those categorised as “Officially stateless” or “Stateless Person - Article 1 1954 Convention”). 76 It is interesting to note that an analysis of the British Refugee Council’s database which was also investigated by the researchers, which stores records kept on the Council’s clients entered by frontline caseworkers presents a similar picture on both age and gender. Here, between 2003 and 2010, 122 individual cases were recorded as ‘stateless’. These comprised 30% Women, 70% men, whilst the age categories appeared as follows: 0-19 (24%), 20-34 (57%), over 35 (19%). 77 Asylum data tables Immigration Statistics April - June 2011, asylum applications by age shows 1,530 of 17,916 applications are from individuals under 18. Available at: http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/ immigration-tabs-q2-2011v2/asylum1-q2-11-tabs. 78 That is to say that they were recognised refugees within the meaning of Article 1A (2) of the 1951 Convention. Although the domestic legal provisions that provide for the grant of asylum have changed in the period under study, the current provision is found in paragraph 334 of the Immigration Rules HC 395. 79 Home Office, Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2010, Home Office Statistical Bulletin. Of initial decisions in 2010, 17 % were to grant asylum; 8 % were to grant Humanitarian Protection (HP) or Discretionary Leave (DL) and 75 % were refusals. in the United Kingdom 41