The majority of countries in the World have signed up to the 1951 United Nations Convention for Refugees. This means that any person has a legal right to come to that country and claim asylum.

The asylum process differs from country to country and as does the length of time to make a decision, be that positive or negative.

According to the 2005 UN statistics, the USA admitted the highest number of asylum seekers in the developed world in the past five years with the UK not far behind. I have been to New York and established Polish and Irish communities already exist from previous mass movement of refugees after the potato famine in Ireland and World War II which led to millions of Poles relocating around the war after Stalin had stated that any Poles that fought for the allies would face persecution under the Russian controlled communist government of Poland at that time.

May people see the USA and UK via cable TV and think that the streets are paved with gold. It’s only when they arrive in these countries that they realise that life is not easy and that poverty and homelessness still exists in two of the richest countries of the world. The UK has strong colonial links from the days of the British Empire with a third of the world once coming under its protectorate. These strong links, its multi-cultural society and the English language mean the UK is often favoured as a destination for claiming asylum.

The highest number of asylum seekers are coming from Iraq, Iran, Somalia and an increasing number of Chinese are claiming asylum in the UK. The reasons for claiming asylum vary from Political and Religious Oppression to Tribal Conflict and Sexual Orientation in a country that has no freedom regarding sexuality.

The problem is removing those asylum seekers that have been refused asylum as they often disappear into society working illegally and moving from location to location to avoid detention and deportation. Charles Clark is the third Home Secretary in past few years to lose his jobs over the problem of immigration. These problems are leading to the Far-Right British National Party making political gains due to the immigration problems.

But this increase in far Right popularity has not stopped asylum seekers coming to the UK in search of safety and sanctuary and with the continuing trouble in Iraq, political and nuclear problems in Iran, renewed fighting in Somalia and the ever lasting border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea; It looks like the USA and UK will continue honouring its agreement under the UN Convention for years to come.