The asylum challenge to Western nations

Over the past ten years, the number of requests for asylum in Western countries has skyrocketed. This has caused those countries to struggle to find a response which meets the needs of their own populations and which fulfils their international obligations to refugees. The first section of this pamphlet identifies and describes five trends in the current asylum situation: 1) The mass movement of people out of their home countries continues to increase; 2) Countries, which in the past have offered asylum and resettlement opportunities, are closing their doors to refugees; 3) More than ever before, refugees are unprotected and subject to violence; 4) Determining if applicants qualify for refugee status is more difficult because many refugees leave their countries for mixed reasons; and 5) New durable solutions are being sought as repatriation and resettlement become increasingly unworkable. The next section of the pamphlet discusses several factors which have contributed to the rejection of asylum applicants by Western countries. First, two new types of applicant have emerged: people fleeing war zones where they are the targets of violence from militias vying for control of the government, and people who are prevented from working by the government of their country. Second, vast numbers of illegal immigrants, declining economies, racism and ethnic prejudice are influencing policies towards refugees. The last section of the pamphlet analyses the current situation in El Salvador, showing the interplay of the factors which have been discussed.