Applications for asylum in EU falling

Date: 13/01/2000

By Gareth Harding

THE number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe fell for the fourth consecutive month in October last year, putting paid to the myth that the 'old continent' is being swamped by an ever-growing flood of immigrants.

The latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees show that the number of asylum seekers slumped from a high of 46,000 in June to 34,000 in October. More than 80% of those seeking refuge in Europe applied for sanctuary in EU countries, with the UK and Germany the favourite destinations of would-be refugees.

The major reason for the dip in numbers is the end of the conflict in Kosovo last June. But experts say this only goes some way towards explaining the decrease, as the number of former Yugoslav citizens seeking asylum in Europe was almost the same before the war as after.

The figures also reflect a long-term downward trend in the number of asylum seekers in Europe, which peaked at 700,000 in 1992 but has since dropped to less than 400,000.

The head of the UNHCR's European office Raymond Hall has warned that "asylum in Europe is increasingly under threat because fears of 'uncon-trolled migration' have prompted states to resort to a wide range of control and deterrence measures". Campaigners point, in particular, to the EU's policy of returning refugees to the first country they entered after leaving their homeland as one reason for the slump.

Meanwhile, a new report from the UN's population department claims that Europe will need 160 million immigrant workers by 2025 to support its rapidly ageing population.

According to the report, Europe's population is set to decline by 5 million over the next 25 years but the ratio of workers to non-workers is set to halve over the same period, resulting in a 160 million labour shortfall.