World Asylum Statistics
 
France supplanted the United States as the top destination for people seeking asylum in industrialized nations last year, while the flow of refugees dropped to levels unseen since the late 1980s, a United Nations report says.   But France bucked the trend, rising 3 percent to 61,600 applications from the previous year's 59,770. The United States, which received the most applications in 2003 with 73,780 refugees, came in second last year with 52,360.
Britain dropped from second to third, with 40,200 refugees. Germany, the top destination for asylum seekers in 13 of the past 20 years, was fourth at 35,600. Canada was fifth with 25,500.
People from the Russian Federation (most of them Chechens) made up the largest nationality seeking asylum, with 30,100 applicants. They were followed by 22,300 persons from Serbia and Montenegro, many of them from Kosovo. Chinese were third, at 19,700.

What is it about Ireland?

Irish Asylum Statistics up to end of July 2005

In 2004 Ireland received a total of 4,265 new asylum applications and 501 re-applications, just. A total of 2,541 new asylum applications were received by the end of July 2005 - there were 2,731 in the corresponding period last year.
The top 5 countries of origin of new asylum applicants to date this year are: Nigeria – 557, Somalia – 88, Romania – 77, Afghanistan – 57, Sudan – 32. Under the ‘direct provision’ system, introduced in April 2000, asylum seekers are housed in shared, hostel-type accommodation centres across the country. Residents of direct provision centres are provided with food and lodging and a guaranteed cash payment of €19.10 per adult or €9.60 per child per week. 61,600 applications in France and 4,265 applications in Ireland. Not everyone would like to live in Ireland.

€19.10 per person (€9.60 per child) per week. Have you ever tried to manage with this money?