This conclusion was drawn based on statistical data from the 50 richest countries in the world, which are traditionally popular among people seeking asylum. In 2006, 303,400 people applied for asylum, 10% less than in 2005. Over the past five years, the number of such applicants in industrialized countries has more than halved. This is partly explained by the improvement of conditions in the countries of origin of the main refugee groups. At the same time, the reduction is also linked to developed countries sharply tightening requirements for asylum seekers.
Overall, in Europe and in the 25 countries of the European Union in 2006, the share of asylum applications was the lowest in the last 20 years. Exceptions were Sweden, Greece and Malta, where an increase in the number of foreigners seeking asylum was recorded.
The most frequent asylum seekers abroad were residents of Iraq (22,200 such applications, 77% more than in 2005), China (18,300) and Russia (15,700). The top five also included Serbia and Montenegro (considered jointly) and Turkey. In 2005, Serbia-Montenegro and Russia occupied the first two places. At that time, 22,000 people tried to flee from Russia.
Citizens from other post-Soviet states also sought asylum, but they did so with less enthusiasm than in 2005. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees operates with statistics from 36 countries that received such applications. From Georgia, 3,600 people tried to flee (almost half less than in 2005), from Armenia - just under 4,200 (16% less than in 2005), from Azerbaijan - 2,500 (minus 23%), from Moldova - more than 2,500 (minus 46% compared to 2005), from Ukraine - 2,100 (minus 43%). There are no data for other former USSR countries.
In 2006, asylum seekers most sought to go to the United States. In 2005, the US was surpassed by France, which in 2006 came in second place. 51,000 people applied for asylum in the US in 2006. At the same time, there is one asylum seeker for every 1,000 US residents, while in Europe there are 3.2 asylum seekers per 1,000. After the US and France, the popular countries among refugees are: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Greece and Belgium.
Residents of post-Soviet states also formed their own preferences in this regard. Ukrainians most often tried to settle in the Czech Republic and the United States. Georgians were attracted to Greece, France and Austria, Armenians - France, Belgium and Hungary, Azerbaijanis - France, Germany and Sweden, Moldovans - France and Austria, Russians - Poland, Austria and France.