Yorkshire and Humberside has a long tradition of welcoming and providing safe homes for people who have fled war and persecution around the world. Refugees have settled in the region from a large number of communities, and that has contributed to the vibrant and multicultural region that Yorkshire and Humberside is today.
Who are asylum seekers?
Anyone at all is allowed to ask for sanctuary in another country if they are suffering persecution in their own. An asylum seeker in the UK is someone who has made an application for asylum to the UK authorities and is waiting for a decision on whether their application will be accepted.
As at June 2007, there were over 9000 asylum seekers living in Yorkshire and Humberside. Most asylum seekers in our region currently come from the following countries: Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
Who are refugees?
A refugee in the UK is someone who has had their asylum application investigated and accepted by the Home Office: someone who has proved that they have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion in their homeland.