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6th
September 2005
Asylum applications continue to tumble in industrialized
countries
GENEVA, September 6 (UNHCR) – The number of asylum applications
in industrialized countries has continued to fall during the first
half of 2005, maintaining the sharp downward trend that began in
2002, according to the latest figures released on Tuesday by the
UN refugee agency.
Overall, the number of asylum seekers arriving in all 36 industrialized
countries listed by UNHCR fell by 18 percent, compared to the same
period last year (to 156,200 from 189,900), and by 35 percent compared
to the same period in 2003, when 240,800 people claimed asylum.
Last year's total was already the lowest for 16 years, UNHCR said,
making the latest drop in numbers even more significant. The agency
has repeatedly expressed concern that the fall in numbers may reflect
the considerable difficulties some refugees are facing accessing
asylum systems in Europe in the face of more and more restrictive
legislation and tighter border controls.
"In Europe this often heated political debate was numbers-driven
in the first place," said Pirkko Kourula, Director of UNHCR's
Europe Bureau. "But the debate and the restrictions seem to
be continuing unabated, even though the number of asylum seekers
has fallen away quite spectacularly in the industrialized countries.
We wish more attention would be devoted to the huge needs that remain
in other, poorer, parts of the world."
The number of new applications in the 24 European Union countries
covered by the report was 112,200 – 17 percent fewer than
during the first six months of 2004. The EU total is 30 percent
lower than during the same period two years ago.
"The most notable change was in the 10 new EU countries, which
to some extent bucked the prevailing downward trend last year,"
said UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond. "However, during the first
six months of this year, the numbers arriving in these 10 states
fell by 34 percent compared to the same period last year."
France was the top receiving country, with 27,400 applications
during the first six months of 2005. France's half-yearly totals
have remained remarkably steady over the past two-and-a-half years
(27,900 and 31,400 in the two semesters in 2003, and 30,000 and
28,600 in 2004). Nevertheless, the overall trend there has also
been slightly downwards, Redmond noted.
The next largest receiving countries so far in 2005 are the United
States with 25,400 asylum applications, down 8 percent on the same
period last year; then the United Kingdom, down 23 percent to 15,500;
Germany, down 29 percent to 13,300; Austria, down 26 percent to
9,200; Canada, down 26 percent to 8,700; and Sweden, down 30 percent
to 8,000.
Perhaps the most dramatic decrease was recorded by the Slovakia
which was down 78 percent compared to the first six months of last
year. Close neighbours Poland and the Czech Republic also saw substantial
decreases. However, several other "new" EU countries saw
major increases, including Cyprus (up 26 percent to 4,000), Slovenia
(up 38 percent to 850) and Malta (up 103 percent to 550). Among
the "old" EU countries, Greece saw the biggest increase,
up 101 percent to 5,500. No other "old" EU country increased
by more than 10 percent.
In all, 14 of the 36 countries listed have seen their half-yearly
total drop by 40 percent or more since the same period two years
ago, and eight have seen their totals fall by more than half.
Serbia and Montenegro (which includes Kosovo), was the leading
country of origin, with 10,800 asylum applicants during the first
six months of this year. China and the Russian Federation –
which includes Chechnya – came next (both with 9,400), followed
by Turkey (7,100), Iraq (5,700) and Haiti (5,300).
UNHCR officials said it was not immediately clear why the number
of Chechens and other Russian citizens had fallen away since they
emerged as the top group of asylum seekers in 2003. By then, the
big groups at the turn of the century (Kosovars, Afghans and Iraqis)
had fallen away sharply following major changes on the domestic
front.
"Eight of the top 10 countries of origin saw their numbers
of asylum seekers fall," Redmond said, "the exceptions
being the Iraqis and Haitians who went up by 31 percent and 20 percent
respectively compared to the first six months of last year."
After falling away spectacularly during 2003, the number of Iraqi
asylum seekers began creeping up again half way through 2004, and
has remained fairly steady at just under 3,000 during the last three
quarters. However the number of Iraqi asylum seekers remains far
below the levels seen in 2002 when more than 50,000 claimed asylum
in the 36 listed countries.
The Haitians are the only one of the top 10 nationalities to have
been steadily increasing since the start of 2003. The great majority
of Haitians claim asylum either in the United States – where
the level has remained stable – and the French overseas territory
of Guadeloupe – where the number of new applications has risen
sharply.
More . . .
Full text of the report: Asylum
levels and trends in industrialized countries, second quarter 2005
(pdf)
Story date: 6 September 2005
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