In total, the governments of 50 relatively prosperous states received 336,000 such applications last year, which is 15% fewer than the year before. In Europe, where in some countries right-wing parties frighten the population with a growing flow of refugees and immigrants, 2005 was the calmest year by this indicator since 1998, the UNHCR report emphasizes.
This trend is partly explained by the end of armed conflicts in many regions, including the former Yugoslavia. However, as UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres stressed, another significant factor is that developed states have recently been tightening their immigration laws.
The Commissioner called on Western governments to pay more attention to protecting asylum seekers rather than reducing their numbers. "These figures show that talk in industrialized countries of a growing refugee problem does not correspond to reality," Guterres said in a statement. "In fact, industrialized countries should ask themselves whether stricter legislation is closing their doors to men, women and children fleeing persecution."
The report also emphasizes that the majority of the world's 9.2 million refugees still settle in developing countries, with Pakistan, Iran and Tanzania leading the way.
Last year, the main destination for refugees was France, which received 50,000 applications. The United States came second (48,000), followed by Britain (30,500) and Germany (28,900). The total number of applications filed in the 25 European Union countries last year fell by 15% compared with 2004. The sharpest drop was seen in the ten new EU members.
However, the trend is similar in other Western countries. In 2005, Canada and the United States received 54% fewer applications for refugee status than in 2001, while in Australia and New Zealand the number fell by three quarters over the same period.
As for the countries from which the largest numbers of refugees came last year, according to UN data, Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) ranks first, followed by Russia (including Chechnya). The sharpest increase in refugees last year came from Iraq and Haiti at 27%.