Survey Confirms UK as Hotspot for Asylum Seekers

It appears that the UK has just recently emerged as one of the most popular locations in Europe for asylum seekers. Although people in the UK are saying that they have known this for a long time, most people did not know why. Well a new survey shows that asylum seekers are actually twice as likely to be successful in the UK than they are in places like France.

These official figures, which were just released by the European Union, have revealed that the UK took in 12,510 refugees in 2009. This was an annual rise of 22 percent. 26.9 percent of these asylum seekers succeeded in their first try. A third of these asylum seekers came from Zimbabwe. The second largest group was made up of people who came from Afghan.

The UK was followed by Germany. This country let in 12,055 refugees last year alone. France did come in third by allowing 10,415 asylum seekers over its borders, and in fourth place was Sweden with 9,085.

Of course, critics have come down pretty hard on these new figures. They are using these numbers to claim that the UK's failed asylum and emigration system is not working. Sir Andrew Green, of EmigrationWatch UK, said that this may well explain why so many asylum seekers are queuing up in Calais rather than claiming asylum in France.

The head of the UK Border Agency, Matthew Coasts, said that the UK has a proud tradition of providing refuge to those in genuine need of asylum. Britain currently has the lowest asylum intake in two years.