During 2009, at least 922 500 individual applications for asylum or refugee status were submitted to governments or UNHCR offices in 159 countries or territories. This constitutes a 5 per cent increase compared to the previous year (875,300 claims) and the third consecutive annual rise. In industrialized countries figures have remained stable. Two main reasons explain this trend. The first is the persistent high number of asylum applications in South Africa (222,000 claims in 2009 ; and 207,000 in 2008). The second is the continued high number of certain populations seeking international protection during the year, particularly those from Afghanistan, Colombia , Ethiopia , Myanmar and Zimbabwe. Out of the provisional total of 922,500 asylum claims , an estimated 836,100 were initial applications , lodged in first instance procedures , and 86 , 400 claims were submitted on appeal or with courts.
UNHCR offices registered some 119,100 applications out of the total of 922,500 claims in 2009. This number increased by 62 per cent compared to 2008 (73,400 claims). The Office's share in the global number of applications registered stood at 13 per cent in 2009 compared to 8 per cent in 2008 and 12 per cent in 2007. The recent increase is primarily due to the higher number of applications registered with UNHCR offices in Malaysia and Somalia.
With a provisional total of 358,600 asylum claims registered during the year in Europe, this region remained the primary destination for individual asylum - seekers, followed closely by Africa (336,400). Both regions accounted for 39 and 37 per cent, respectively, of all claims lodged. The Americas and Asia recorded 125,000 and 93,700 respectively, while Oceania received 9,000 asylum - seekers. These figures include applicants who were unsuccessful at first instance and subsequently filed an appeal.
New individual asylum applications received
South Africa was again the main destination for new asylum - seekers worldwide with more than 222,000 asylum claims registered in 2009 - almost as many as were lodged in the 27 Member States of the European Union combined. This figure also accounted for almost one quarter of all individual applications globally. The number of applications more than quadrupled compared to 2007, when 45,600 individuals sought international protection, and is 7 per cent higher than in 2008. Zimbabweans accounted for two- thirds of all claims submitted in 2009 (149,500 applications).
The United States of America, receiving roughly one-fifth of the number of claims as South Africa, was in second position with 47,900 applications. The number of new asylum claims lodged in the United States of America remained stable in recent years. France was the third largest recipient during 2009 (42,100 claims), recording a 19 per cent increase compared to 2008 (35,400 claims) and the second consecutive annual rise. The increase in 2009 is partly attributed to a higher number of asylum - seekers from Serbia (+ 67 %), and Armenia (+ 50 %). Malaysia was the fourth most important destination country for new asylum - seekers in 2009, with more than 40,000 asylum claims registered with the UNHCR office, mostly by people from Myanmar ( 94 %). Other important destination countries for asylum - seekers were Ecuador (35,500),Canada (34,000), and the United Kingdom (29,800).
In 2009, UNHCR offices received 114,000 new applications for refugee status and 5,100 applications for appeal or for review. The office in Malaysia received the largest number of new requests (40,000). The office in "Somaliland" (north-west Somalia) was the second largest receiver of new claims in 2009 ( 15,600 new claims),followed by Kenya ( 15,400), Turkey ( 7,800),and India (6,000). UNHCR operations in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia and Somalia witnessed an increase in applications, while offices in Cameroon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and Turkey saw a decrease in new applications. The top five receiving UNHCR offices together registered three- quarters of all new applications in 2009.
Moreover, 90 per cent of UNHCR's refugee status determination work in terms of applications received was concentrated in 12 countries.
By nationality, the highest number of new asylum claims was filed by individuals originating from Zimbabwe ( 158,200),Myanmar (48,600),Eritrea (43,300),Ethiopia (42,500),Colombia (39,200),Afghanistan ( 38,900),and Somalia (37,900). See Map 3 below. As observed in previous years, these figures hide patterns of certain nationalities tending to cluster in a limited number of countries. For instance, nine out of ten Zimbabwean asylum claims were lodged in South Africa alone. Similarly, three- quarters of asylum claims lodged by citizens of Myanmar were registered in Malaysia while two- thirds of all Eritrean requests were submitted in Ethiopia ( 17,300) and Sudan ( 10,200). In the case of Ethiopian asylum - seekers, Somalia ( 15,500 claims estimated by UNHCR ),South Africa ( 10,700),and Kenya (9,500) were prime destination countries, accounting for 84 per cent of all new Ethiopian claims. Even though asylum - seekers from Colombia sought protection in more than 40 countries, eight out of ten applied for refugee status in Ecuador.
Provisional figures indicate that some 585,500 decisions on individual asylum applications were rendered during 2009,a 7 per cent increase compared to 2008. UNHCR staff adjudicated 69,200,or 12 per cent of the total - a share similar to that of previous years. In 12 countries, including Ethiopia and Mauritania, close to 21,000 substantive decisions were taken jointly by UNHCR and the concerned State. These figures exclude cases which were closed for administrative reasons without taking a decision on the substance. In 2009,some 158,300 cases were closed without a substantive decision issued to the applicant.
It is important to note that the 2009 data on decisions is still incomplete as a few States have not released their official statistics. As a consequence, the 2009 decision data quoted in this report are not fully comparable with previous years.
Some 274,500 asylum - seekers were recognized as refugees (225,100) or given a complementary form of protection (49,400) in the course of 2009. This number includes an estimated 15,800 individuals who initially received a negative decision that was overturned at the appeal or review stage. Instances where the percentage of decisions overturned at the appeal stage was particularly high may be an indication of deficiencies in the asylum procedure in some countries.
Some 311,000 claims were rejected on substantive grounds,16,000 less than the year before. This number includes negative decisions at the first instance as well as those on appeal. Asylum - seekers who appealed a negative decision at first instance which was upheld under appeal may have been counted twice in this figure.
At the global level ( UNHCR and State asylum procedures combined ),the Refugee Recognition Rate ( RRR ) amounted to an estimated 38 per cent of all decisions taken during 2009 while the Total Recognition Rate (TRR ) was 47 per cent. Both values are significantly above the corresponding rates in 2008 (29 per cent for RRR and 40 per cent for TRR ). However, at this time global recognition rates are indicative as some States have not yet reported the relevant data. Also, the proportion of positive decisions is in reality higher as decisions for those rejected on appeal are often counted twice. Among the industrialized countries, Finland and Malta had the highest TRR at the first instance in 2009 (78 % and 65 %, respectively). Among the main countries of origin of asylum - seekers in 2009, those originating from Colombia, Eritrea, and Myanmar had TRRs of 80 to 90 per cent. Recognition rates were also high for asylum - seekers from Somalia (around 75 %), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (61 %), Ethiopia (53%), Afghanistan (50 %), and Iraq (50 %).
Globally more than 983,000 individuals were still awaiting a decision on their asylum claim by the end of the year. This is 19 per cent more persons than in 2008. It includes applications at any stage of the asylum procedure. The largest number of undecided cases at the first instance and on appeal was reported by South Africa (309,800). This figure includes an estimated 171,700 undecided cases at the first instance and 138,100 cases which were pending decision at the end of 2008.
This is an edited extract from the UNHCR report, 2009 Global Trends, Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, June 15 2010. The full document can be accessed here. The data in excel here.
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