In The News

Asylum Applications Down 41%

Matthew Tempest February 24, 2004
The number of asylum seekers to the UK has dropped since last year due to governmental reforms, according to David Blunkett, the UK's Home Office Secretary. Asylum seekers, once a contentious issue in British politics, now seem to be overshadowed by the uncertainty of migration from new members of the European Union. Many in Britain worry that citizens from the former Soviet countries will...

15,000 Families Granted Asylum

October 24, 2003
With more asylum seekers fleeing conflicts in various parts of the world, receiving countries are experiencing some hard times. The UK, for example, is already feeling over burdened. Recently, the government announced that it would grant 15,000 families indefinite leave to remain and enable them to work in the UK, a right they don't currently enjoy. According to the Secretary of the Home...

Unnatural Disasters

Andrew Simms October 15, 2003
In less than fifty years, there could be 150 million refugees fleeing environmental disaster, says this article in the UK's Guardian. Already outnumbering political refugees, environmental refugees are still not afforded the attention their plight demands. Oftentimes it is the countries least responsible for global environmental change that are most affected and least capable of dealing...

US, North Korea Far Apart as Negotiators Meet in Beijing

Reuters August 27, 2003
As six-way talks begin in Beijing on August 27, all participants – excepting North Korea – agree on one thing: the Korean peninsula must remain nuclear free. Aside from this fundamental point, however, all participants remain divided about the appropriate course of action. North Korea continues to demand security guarantees before dismantling its program and the United States refuses to make...

Germany Deadlocked Over Immigration Policy

Dominic Sachsenmaier August 22, 2003
Economic integration around the world does not necessarily equate to acceptance of multi-culturalism at home. Though German industry and banks straddle the globe, linking countries and societies economically, many Germans are fiercely fighting the influx of foreign influence - particularly through immigration. These Germans feel passionately about preserving a homogenous society and are...

Xenophobia has no place in Thailand

Pravit Rojanaphruk July 16, 2003
Writing in Thailand’s major newspaper the author urges his fellow citizens not to view Burmese refugees as unwelcome invaders. Though historical enmity, national security, and the "ungratefulness" of Burmese people are regularly cited whenever there is a crackdown against student protestors or migrants, Thai people should not be blinded by mistrust. The reality is that, regardless of...

Wave of Immigrants Breaks Against Italian Island's Shore

Frank Bruni July 11, 2003
Many African immigrants are willing to risk their lives for opportunities in Europe. They come in rickety boats across dangerous waters to the small Italian island of Lampedusa, the gateway through which thousands of immigrants pass en route to the European job market every year. The immigrants arrive on the island's coast in numbers that surpass its population, overwhelming local and...