Country profiles
Here are profiles for five asylum seeking countries. It's not a comprehensive list, but it gives some idea of the kinds of reasons why people seek asylum.
Afghanistan
Iran
Somalia
Albania
Turkey
Afghanistan
Language: Farsi (also called Persian)
(The spoken language in Afghanistan is Eastern Farsi. It is spoken differently from Western Farsi, which is spoken in Iran , but written the same way. Qatar and Tajikistan also have significant Farsi speaking people groups.)
Farsi ethnologue report
Hello: Salaam
Welcome: Khosh aamadid
http://www.culturalorientation.net/afghan/
Why do people come from Afghanistan?
Afghanistan had suffered 20 years of civil war and oppression, before the events of 11th September 2001 placed it in the spotlight. During that time over 4 million people left their homes, most of them taking refuge in Pakistan and Iran. Since the toppling of the Taliban government around half of these have returned home.
However, Afghanistan remains unstable. The Taliban may have been officially ousted, but Islamic radicalism remains. Warlords and armed groups control large parts of the country, and many still live in fear of intimidation on religious or political grounds. Drought and the lack of infrastructure compound the problems.
How many asylum seekers are there from Afghanistan?
Numbers have dropped considerably since the recent war, and 1,390 asylum applications were received from Afghanistan in 2004.
What is the probable outcome of an asylum application from Afghanistan?
2,675 initial decisions were made in 2004. 2,230 cases were refused, 405 were granted leave to remain, 10 were given humanitarian protection, and 30 were granted refugee status and asylum.
(The number of decisions is higher than the number of applications because of a backlog in application processing).
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Iran
Language: Farsi (also called Persian)
(The spoken language in Afghanistan is Eastern Farsi. It is spoken differently from Western Farsi, which is spoken in Iran, but written the same way. Qatar and Tajikistan also have significant Farsi speaking people groups.)
Farsi ethnologue report
Hello: Salaam
Welcome: Khosh aamadid
Why do people come from Iran?
Currently there are more UK asylum applications from Iran than anywhere else, making it the main asylum seeking nationality. Although numbers have fallen since the 2001 elections, there is a long history of religious persecution, political suppression and anti-intellectualism. Dissent and Apostasy are criminal offences, making both political activism and religious conversion subject to the death penalty.
Nevertheless, Iran also hosts large numbers of refugees, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan.
For more see the UN page here
How many people come from Iran?
3,450 people applied for asylum from Iran in 2004. Iran is one of the few countries that has seen a rise in applications, up by 20% on the 2003 figures.
What is the probable outcome of an asylum application from Iran?
70 Iranians were granted asylum in 2004, out of 3,890 initial decisions. 15 were given humanitarian protection, 220 discretionary leave, and 3,590 were refused.
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Somalia
Language: Somali
(Also spoken in Djibouti by a third of the population, among certain nomadic tribes in Northern Kenya, and some South-Eastern Ethiopian tribes)
Somali ethnologue report
Hello: Ma nabad baa? (literally: ‘is it peace?’)
Welcome: Soo dhawoow
Read the Cultural Orientation report here
Why do people come from Somalia?
Somalia has been without a proper government since 1991, its territory disputed among warlords and their militias. The people of Somalia are the most heavily armed population in the world. To add to the instability, the area has been ravaged by famine and disease, leaving it one of the world’s most desperate nations.
Most refugees from Somalia are resident in neighbouring countries, in Kenya and Ethiopia. Relatively few come as far as the UK, the former colonial power. Despite the conflicts, and against the advice of the UNHCR and Amnesty International, the UK still has a policy of forced removals back to Somalia.
How many asylum seekers come from Somalia?
2,590 applications were made in 2004, half the number received in 2003
What is the probable outcome of an asylum application from Somalia?
More Somalis were granted asylum than any other country in 2004, with 460 asylum applications granted out of 3,280 initial decisions. A further 405 were given leave to remain, 10 were given humanitarian protection, and 2,360 were refused.
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Albania
Language: Albanian
Albanian ethnologue report
Hello: Allo
Welcome: Mirë se vini
Why do people come from Albania?
Between 1944 and 1990 it was illegal to leave Albania under the communist government. When communism collapsed, large numbers of Albanians moved west, some 300,000 in the space of two years. Many more moved after pyramid investment schemes collapsed in the mid-nineties, wiping out the savings of hundreds of thousands of people.
Economic hardship remains the main reason for emigration in Albania today. Unemployment is high, poverty is widespread and healthcare is of a poor standard. Albania is truly a country in transition. 25% of the population has emigrated since 1990, although many say they would like to return when the economy begins to pick up again.
Click here for Migration Information's report
How many asylum seekers are there from Albania?
In 2004 there were 300 asylum applications from Albania. This represents a fall of 50% since 2003.
What is the probable outcome of an asylum application from Albania?
No asylum seekers from Albania were recognised as refugees in 2004, and so no Albanians were granted asylum. Out of 515 initial decisions, 405 were refused, and 105 were given discretionary leave.
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Turkey
Language: Turkish
(20% of Cypriots speak Turkish as a first language, and many Muslims in Macedonia, Romania, Greece, Uzbekistan, and Bulgaria still speak Turkish)
Turkish ethnologue report
Hello: Selam (or Merhaba)
Welcome: Hos geldiniz
Why do people come from Turkey?
Throughout the 80s and 90s many people left Turkey because of the military suppression of Kurdish separatists. 20% of the Turkish population are Kurdish, and some factions have called for an independent Kurdish state. At times this conflict has spilled over into violence, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. The situation has now stabilised and asylum applications from Turkey have fallen, although there has been a trend among professionals and graduates to seek employment elsewhere in Europe. Discussions regarding Turkey’s potential EU membership are due in 2005, and immigration will be on the agenda.
It is worth noting that Turkey is itself a major recipient of asylum seekers, and took in half a million Kurds from Iraq.
Read Migration Information's profile here
How many asylum seekers come from Turkey?
Numbers of applications from Turkey are falling, and the 2004 figure of 1,230 is half the 2003 total.
What is the probable outcome of an asylum application from Turkey?
2,160 initial decisions were made on applications from Turkey. 80 of these were successful, and 1,985 were refused. A further 95 were granted leave to remain, and 5 were given humanitarian protection.
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