UNHCR stats on asylum applications

UNHCR’s statistical overview of asylum applications in industrialised countries during 2010 has again revealed that Australia’s share of global asylum applications remains very small. In 2010, Australia received 8,250 asylum applications, just 2.2 per cent of the 358,840 applications received across 44 industrialised nations. Of the 44 nations, Australia was ranked 14^th overall and was 17^th on a per capita basis. The industrialised countries with the largest number of asylum applications in 2010 were the United States (55,530), France (47,790), Germany (41,330), Sweden (31,820), Canada (23,160) and the United Kingdom (22,090).  Asylum applications in Australia increased by around 30 per cent compared to the previous year. In real terms, however, this amounted to only 2,000 additional applications. Furthermore, while the number of applications in Australia increased, our global share of asylum applications remained steady at around two per cent. By comparison, the United States experienced a 13 per cent increase in asylum applications, which in real terms amounted to over 6,500 additional applications; and Germany’s share of asylum applications almost doubled from seven per cent in 2009 to 12 per cent in 2010. Serbia was the largest source country for people making asylum applications in industrialised countries. A total of 28,901 applications were lodged by Serbians, the vast majority in European countries. Only five Serbians sought asylum in Australia. Afghanistan was the second largest source country for people making asylum applications in industrialised countries. The 1,262 applications lodged in Australia by Afghans made up only five per cent of the international total of 24,769. Afghans were over four times more likely to lodge an application in Germany than in Australia. The UNHCR report is available for download here: www.unhcr.org/4d8c5b109.html