Many asylum seekers are fleeing their own country because there is a civil war there or because their human rights are not being respected.
The top five countries that people came from in 2002 were:
- Iraq (14,940)
- Zimbabwe (7,695)
- Afghanistan (7,380)
- Somalia (6,680)
- China (3,735)
In some countries, people can be arrested, sent to prison or even tortured for their religious or political beliefs.
If the situation in a country changes for the better then there are often less asylum seekers from there.
Recently there have been less applications from former Yugoslavia.
Why do they leave home?
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