Country of asylum by choice or by chance: Asylum-seekers in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK

Abstract

This article seeks to illuminate the reasons underlying an asylum-seeker's choice of country of refuge. An examination of the statistics on asylum applications in the countries of the European Union reveals some specific patterns of origin and destination. Why, for example, do so many asylum-seekers go to the Netherlands? The authors consider the question of just how much choice the asylum-seeker has. Next, the importance is analysed of three groups of factors in explaining the patterns of destination of asylum-seekers: (1) ties between the country of origin and the country of asylum, (2) the characteristics of the countries of destination and, (3) events during the actual flight and journey which might influence the destination of the asylum-seeker.