Where do asylum seekers come from and why do they come to the UK?
The four nationalities with the most applications for asylum in the UK in 2002 were Iraq, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Somalia – all places where there has been instability, war, civil unrest, and serious abuse of human rights. People come to Britain for a variety of reasons. One reason is our colonial history – the fact that many countries have an historical link to the U.K. People may come here because they speak English or because they have family in this country and wish to be reunited. Another reason is that the U.K. has a long tradition of providing asylum to those fleeing persecution. Some asylum seekers are brought to the UK by traffickers and have no choice where they end up. Are asylum seekers ‘flooding’ the UK? When compared to other countries, the simple answer is no. Iran, Pakistan, Bosnia and Russia receive the highest numbers of people seeking asylum. In Europe, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Denmark all welcome more people seek
