AUCKLAND: Australia and New Zealand saw a 20 percent drop in asylum claims, from 6,300 last year for both to 5,100 in 2011, according to a report published by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). In contrast the total number of people seeking asylum in industrialised countries rose by 17 percent in the first 6 months of this year, Australia and New Zealand being the exceptions. In the first 6 months of the year, the UNHCR says fewer than 5000 people made asylum claims in Australia. The figures starkly contrast with the United States, which had more than 36,000 claims, and France, which received more than 26,000. Rick Towle, UNHCR regional representative, says the crises in North Africa resulted in a large increase of claimants in Southern Europe. More people crossed the Mediterranean to Italy in one weekend in August than came to Australia in six months, explained Towle. Considering Australia's strict asylum laws, Towle says while border security is a legitimate concern, figures show that Australia should maintain a global perspective in public debate. He added it underscores the need for humane entry conditions, fair and effective asylum procedures, and better regional cooperation. Australia has been heavily criticized by human rights groups such as Amnesty International about its asylum procedures such as mandatory detention. The report comes amid a week of debate between the Australian government and Opposition parties. The government failed to secure enough backing to change the Migration Act to allow its Malaysian asylum seeker swap deal last week. The result of which the Prime Minister says will be an inevitable increase in boast arrivals. The report estimated that the total asylum claims for the year was likely to be more than double and the highest for eight years, partly reflecting crises in North Africa, the Ivory Coast and Somalia. The main flow of claims came, as in past years, from Afghanistan, China, Serbia and breakaway Kosovo, Iraq and Iran. Afghans made 15,300 claims, Chinese 11,700, Serbs and Kosovars 10,300, Iraqis 10,100 and Iranians 7,600, it said. The agency stressed that the figures covered only applicants for refugee status and do not include migrants, legal or illegal. BM
