At-a-glance: Who takes the most asylum claims?

5 Jan 2011, 12:00 am   -   Source: UNHCR
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In 2009, one out of four refugees in the world was from Afghanistan (2.9 million). (AP)

In 2009, one out of four refugees in the world was from Afghanistan (2.9 million). (AP)

Figures show that developing countries accept the vast majority of the world's refugees, with Australia 47th on the list of host countries in 2009.

RELATED

While the Australian government grapples with a heated asylum seekers debate at home, it has emerged that developing countries are the ones bearing the brunt of the problem, hosting as much as four-fifths of the world's refugees.

Of the 10.4 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate between 2005 and 2009, the largest numbers were being hosted by Pakistan (1,740,711), Iran (1,070,488), Syria (1,054,466), Germany (593,799), Jordan (450,756), the UNHCR's '2009 Global Trends' report reveals. 

The five major refugee-hosting countries accounted for almost half (47 per cent) of people deemed refugees by UNHCR.

They were followed by Kenya (358,928), Chad (338,495), China (300,989), Vietnam (339,300), Eritrea (209,200) and Serbia (195,600).

Australia was ranked 47th, hosting 22,548 refugees between 2005 and 2009 (0.2 per cent of the global total).

Capacities and contributions of host countries

Pakistan hosted the highest number of refugees --mainly from Afghanistan -- also compared to its national economy.

As such, it hosted 745 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was second with 592 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per
capita, followed by Zimbabwe (527), the Syrian Arab Republic (244), and Kenya (237).

The first developed country was Germany at 26th place with 17 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita.

Australia was 68th on a per capita basis and 91st relative to national wealth.

Asylum applications in 2009

South Africa received the highest number of asylum applications in 2009: 222,324.

Other leading countries for asylum applications were the Republic of Congo (95,945), Kenya (87,879), Ethiopia (45,763), France (42,118), Malaysia (40,063), Uganda (36,878), Ecuador (35,514), Yemen (34,471) and Canada (33,970).

The industrialised countries with the largest number of asylum applications in 2009 were the
United States (49,020), France (41,980), Canada (33,250), United Kingdom (29,840),
Germany (27,650) and Sweden (24,190).

Australia was ranked 33rd for total asylum applications with 6206 new applications in 2009.

It was 41st on a per capita basis and 71st relative to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Refugee resettlement

Australia continued to perform creditably in refugee resettlement, with the 11,080 refugees resettled from other nations between 2005 and 2009 making up 9.9 per cent of the global total of 112,442.

The United States alone received 71 per cent of all refugees resettled in 2009 (79,937).

However just 3441 asylum seekers were given refugee in Australia last year, roughly 1 cent of total migration to Australia during the year 2009.

Countries of origin of world refugees

Afghan and Iraqi refugees accounted for almost half of all refugees under UNHCR’s responsibility worldwide.

One out of four refugees in the world was from Afghanistan (2.9 million). Afghans were located in 71 different asylum countries.

Iraqis were the second largest refugee group, with 1.8 million having sought refuge primarily in neighbouring countries.

Somalis constitute the third largest group under UNHCR's responsibility with 678,888 persons at the end of 2009. 

Congo DRC was the fourth largest country of origin with 456,000 refugees.

Refugees one per cent of total migration to Australia

During 2009, 631,905 asylum seekers were recognised as refugees worldwide, with just 3441 (or 0.5 per cent) in Australia.

That is roughly one per cent of total migration to Australia during the year.

The leading countries for refugee recognition on 2009 were Republic of Congo (94,126), Kenya
(76,133), Ethiopia (42,693), Malaysia (35,524), Yemen (33,541), Chad (33,366), Syria (30,696),
Uganda (29,558), Sudan (26,496) and Ecuador (26,342).

Below are some figures from the Department of Immigration that put in perspective Australia's asylum seekers intake in comparison with the total annual migrant intake.

RELATED: Dept of Immigration's Annual report

Total permanent and temporary visas granted: 4,338,427

Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visas granted: 194,103

Student visas granted: 320,368

Temporary residents visas granted: 37,892

Temporary skilled Migration visas granted, Long Stay, (Subclass 457): 101,280

Family Stream outcome: 56,366

Skill Stream outcome: 114,777

State/Territory or Employer Sponsored visas granted: 59,214

Total Migration Program Outcome: 171,318

*Humanitarian Program visas granted: 13,507

Total number of people taken into immigration detention: 3,977

Refugees who arrived and receive help through the Humanitarian Settlement Strategy: 12,035

Number of people conferred Australian citizenship at ceremonies: 86,981

People approved as Australian citizens by conferral, descent and resumption: 118,196

Revenue generated by visa applications $751.8 million

RELATED: Australia's refugee and Humanitarian Program

*The Humanitarian Program includes asylum applications both from outside Australia and from asylum seekers being held in Australia's detention centres.

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low stock

Jim - from Fremantle, 2 months ago

What I am getting sick of is the rush on tablecloths.Bugger it,gonna have to import some off of ebay

Docs signed in 1950 don't count

The man - from On The moon, 7 months ago

On a per capita basis we take a hell of a lot.

Jerry is a wang

Tom - from Perth, 8 months ago

Try watching 'Go back to where you came from' a show from SBS Australia, might change a few peoples minds PS I hate people like you Jerry

Gav - from undefined, 12 months ago

And again the heated unarticulated debate pervades through every saddened street of what is a great country. Such provincial minds with such provincial attitudes. Maybe you should all read the report before your unsubstantiated conclusions degrade the great majority of smart minds of Australia. Live abroad, read a book and stop consuming Australia's consistently racist media. Australia hasn't got an immigration problem, our Governments have an ineffective infrastructural problem.

continuation

Jerry - from NSW, 1 year

No I don't have to live on Centrelink payments because I work to support myself BUT there are MILLIONS of Australians who do survive on these payments. If Jen & Morgan think that the payments are not enough for their cherished freeloaders they should start a fund and contribute to it themselves. To Matias, ditto to all Jules remarks and I applaud Jules for being such a clear thinker regarding the frauds. Why didn't they come by plane with their passports? Much cheaper and very safe.

JEN & MORGAN (2 peas in a pod)

Jerry - from NSW, 1 year

What 'industry' did you work in Jen? Check it out with Centrelink. If I'm wrong about temp refs getting payments (and I'm not) I will gladly retract. The ONLY people who do not qualify for payments are the ones on Bridging Visas, Work Visas, Holiday Visas etc. Confirm the facts before spouting all the bs that people like you and your ilk do.

Refugee is not a chosen condition

Milka - from Sydney, 1 year

The refugees are consequences of the wars.We should go against the doers of wars no against the victims.Nobody love to leave their own country if have their human rights respected because the price is too high but when the only thing you have to loose is your life you not have alternative.The refugees are not tourist please! think about the root of the problem.Stop to think about money think about humanity.The refugees no think about the money they think about to save their life.

TO: Han Yu Han re: No big problem

JulesTAS - from Hobart, 1 year

Queue jumping is fact and a reality. Go and ask people who have been cleared by the UN and are waiting in camps to be resettled how they feel about being pushed back or out of the way by the arrogant people who are jumping in front of them by forcing themselves onto their CHOSEN country of destination. The Convention says refugees have no rights to choose their destination. They may get lucky and be given a choice.

TO: Han Yu Han From: Beijing CBD

JulesTAS - from Hobart, 1 year

You must be one of the people who believe a country has to have a national costume, and hundreds or thousands of years of rigorous religious and community routines to qualify as having any national culture. Australia's national culture is just more difficult to define because we don't bow to all the trappings that other older nations have. Most Aussies just know inside what makes us us.

TO: matias From: sydney

JulesTAS - from Hobart, 1 year

So, Matias you think you should have been given a diploma for free and have it fast tracked just because you want to gain permanent residence in Australia? Australians have to pay the same amount of money as you for their diplomas, find and pay their own accommodation etc. If I went to a foreign country to weasle my way in with some two-bob diploma I think I would expect to have trouble with their customs and language as well, and I doubt I would get all the freebies that we give out.

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