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One
in every 300 people in the world today has been forced to flee persecution,
violence or war and the problem of forced displacement has been
one of the most pressing issues that the United Nations has faced
throughout its history.
As
the number of people of concern to UNHCR has grown since its establishment
in 1951, so has the complexity of the problem of forced displacement.
Today asylum issues are set against a backdrop of radical geopolitical
shifts; a prevalence of conflict situations where civilians are
the main targets; and increasing challenges to asylum.
In
the UK, refugees and asylum has become one of the top political
and media topics of the day. This section provides background information
to some of the key contemporary asylum issues in the UK as well
as wider, international issues.
As
the election nears, we have collated the most up-to-date facts and
figures on asylum to equip candidates on their campaign trail tackling
the controversial issue of asylum.
UK
Issues
Asylum
Law and Procedure in the UK
UK
asylum law is currently governed by the Nationality, Immigration
and Asylum Act. The Act was passed by Parliament in November 2002,
although certain sections only came into effect in January and April
2003. The 2002 Act is largely consistent with the 1951 UN Convention
Relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol and EU instruments.
This
section provides information on the following aspects of the UK
asylum procedure: entry into the UK, 'safe' third countries, legal
aid, detention, support for asylum seekers, dispersal and durable
solutions.
Refugee
Myths: Fact or Fiction
This section addresses some of the common refugee myths portrayed
in the UK's media and gives the facts behind the fiction.
Asylum
Seekers: The Main Source Countries
In the third quarter of 2003, 11, 995 applications for asylum were
made in the UK. The top ten source countries for people seeking
asylum in Britain were Somalia, China, Iran, Zimbabwe, Iraq, India,
Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Find out more about why people are fleeing these homelands.
International
Issues
Refugee
Women
Half of the 19.8 million people that UNHCR deals with are women
and girls. Refugee women have shown great strength and courage in
fleeing their homelands and have special needs in terms of shelter,
supplies, healthcare and protection from sexual violence and exploitation.
In order to raise awareness of the particular situation of refugee
women, UNHCR designated 2002 its year for refugee women.
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