Asylum in the UK
Why do people leave their homes?
No-one chooses to become a refugee. People flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere for a number of reasons.
- Repression and persecution due to religion, ethnicity, political opinion
- In order to maintain power, some governments oppress any opposition. This results in people fleeing from persecution, fear of death and torture.
- War
- Conflict between two countries (or between different groups in the same country) may force many people to flee their homes.
- Environmental Disasters
- Droughts, flooding and deforestation drive many people out of their regions and countries. Furthermore, global warming has turned farming land into desert in many parts of the world, forcing people to migrate to other regions.
These are all people in need of protection.
Where do refugees go?
Most refugees do not come to Britain, Europe or any other western countries. Some of the world's poorest countries support the largest number of refugees, especially in Asia and Africa. In Europe, there are about 4.2 million refugees out of an estimated 20 million people that need protection worldwide. Most European refugees come from the former Yugoslavia, where war has displaced millions of people, Turkey and Iraq. Britain takes on less than 2% of asylum seekers in Europe.
In Britain between 2000 & 2003, the highest number of asylum applications came from Iraq, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and China.
Where do Britain's Asylum Seekers come from?
In Britain between 2003 & 2004, the highest number of asylum applications came from Iraq, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and China. Most refugees do not come to Britain, Europe or any other western countries. Some of the world's poorest countries support the largest number of refugees, especially in Asia and Africa. In Europe, there are about 4.2 million refugees out of an estimated 20 million people that need protection worldwide. Britain takes on less than 3% of the world's refugees.
Most European refugees come from the former Yugoslavia, where war has displaced millions of people.
How many Asylum Seekers come to Britain?
Compared with figures worldwide, the number of refugees in Britain is small. The UK received 299,000 applications in 2004. However in the first quarter of 2005 the Home Office reported a 17.5% drop in applications.
| Asylum country | Total Population | Applications per 1,000 inhabitants | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2000 | 2001 | ||
| Austria | 8,210.5 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 7 | 1 |
| Norway | 4,469.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 6 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 7,283.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 5 | 3 |
| Belgium | 10,249.4 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 2 | 4 |
| Ireland | 3,803.1 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3 | 5 |
| Sweden | 8,842.1 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 9 | 6 |
| Denmark | 5,293.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 8 | 7 |
| Netherlands | 15,863.7 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 4 | 8 |
| Luxembourg | 442.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 11 | 9 |
| United Kingdom | 59,647.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 10 | 10 |
Why should the UK support Asylum Seekers?
Besides an ethical responsibility to protect people fleeing danger, the UK signed the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, so is obligated, under international law to do so. The UK is responsible for guaranteeing that refugees can exercise the same rights as UK citizens under the commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
UK asylum policy: a timeline
Journey of an Asylum Seeker
Asylum seekers are forced to leave their countries because of war or because they are being persecuted by the state or other groups or individuals. As laid out in the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, to qualify for refugee status in the UK an asylum seeker must prove that he or she has been persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion. Read more about the Journey of an Asylum Seeker….
Asylum in the UK
The history of refugees in Norfolk has shaped distinctive elements of our local identity.
Local Support Groups