Seeking asylum

What is asylum?
Asylum seekers are people seeking a safe place where they can live in peace, and as such are refugees. Many are fleeing from war or persecution on the basis of their race, ethnicity, nationality, social group, religion, or political views. This definition is sometimes expanded to include people fleeing war, armed conflict and also environmental disasters. Asylum seekers are protected by international law - a UN Convention on Refugees was signed by many countries including Britain and the USA in 1951, which requires them to offer refuge to anyone with a well-grounded fear of persecution.

Why seek asylum?
To leave your home and country and take what is often a long and dangerous journey to a ‘safe’ country is not an easy decision to take. Yet this is rarely taken into account by politicians and the media in their portrayal of asylum seekers. At present, the majority of asylum seekers in Europe come from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia and Zimbabwe. In many cases, such as those from Afghanistan, they are fleeing from the effects of repressive regimes as well as the destruction and disorder caused by the devastating effects of war.

Finding a safe haven
Internationally, the first ‘safe’ country that asylum seekers arrive in is the country in which they should apply for asylum. But many asylum seekers instead choose to go to other countries because they want to be near relatives or an established community of fellow countrymen and women. This helps fuel hostility towards asylum seekers, as they are accused of trying to reach countries with generous welfare schemes, such as Britain and Australia. This in turn leads to diplomatic disputes between countries, such as that between Britain and France in regard to the Sangatte Refugee Camp.

Increasing hostility
Recent events have increased the hostility many feel to asylum seekers, arguing that some may be terrorists, who are seeking easy access to western countries. Yet this is unlikely and unproven, since it is far easier to enter a country legally on a tourist visa than as a refugee. Another cause of antipathy in the west is a fear that asylum seekers are benefiting at the expanse of native inhabitants in areas such as housing and employment, but this is also untrue. In reality, the vast majority of asylum seekers are actually in Africa and Asia, not Europe.