In 2009, the United States was the largest single recipient of new asylum claims among the groups of industrialised countries, with 49,000 applications.
The US was followed by France and Canada, according to the UN report "Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialised Countries, 2009".
United States: 49,000
France: 42,000
Canada: 33,000
UK: 29,800
Germany: 27,600
Australia: 6,200
- The United States remained the main destination country for the fourth year. It accounted for 13 per cent of the claims representing an estimated 49,000 people, many of them from China.
- Second was France, receiving 42,000 new applications in 2009, a 19 per cent hike over 2008. This was due to increasing claims from citizens of Serbia originating predominantly from Kosovo.
- Canada, while still ranking third among receiving countries, saw the number of asylum applications fall by 10 per cent to 33,000 after a drop in Mexican and Haitian claims.
- The United Kingdom came next with 29,800 applications, down on the year before. Claims in Germany increased by 25 per cent with 27,600 asylum applications last year.
These five countries received 48 per cent of the total claims recorded in 2009.
- Australian asylum applications rose 29 per cent in 2009, with 6200 claims received - 1.6 per cent of the total around the world. That figure was still below that of 2000 (13,100 claims) and 2001 (12,400 claims).
Australia's increase of 29 per cent was small compared to Hungary (50 per cent), Finland (47 per cent), Poland (47 per cent), Belgium (40 per cent) and New Zealand (36 per cent).
Origin of asylum seekers
In terms of regions of origin, nearly half of the total 377,000 applicants originate from Asia and the Middle East (45%), followed by Africa (29%), Europe (15.5%), and the Americas (9%), the UN says.
Afghanistan 26,800
Iraq: 24,000
Somalia: 22,600
- Afghans topped the list of asylum applicants with 26,800 submissions representing a 45 per cent increase over 2008.
- Iraqis dropped to second place with some 24,000 claims, while Somalis moved to third position with 22,600 asylum applications.
- Among the top countries of origin were also the Russian Federation, China, Serbia, and Nigeria.
