"The number of asylum-seekers in Australia and New Zealand increased by 30 per cent during 2009 (6,500 claims) compared to the previous year (5,000). It is primarily in Australia that the increase occurred with 6,200 claims, up 29 per cent from 2008. However, despite this recent increase, figures in Australia remain not only below those observed in 2000 (13,100 claims) and 2001 (12,400 claims) but also far below those recorded by many other industrialized countries. In New Zealand, levels have remained fairly stable in the past five years (on average 300 new claims per year). Japan and the Republic of Korea registered a combined number of 1,700 new asylum claims in 2009, a 13 per cent decrease compared to 2008 (2,000 claims). It is predominantly people from Myanmar who sought international protection in both countries. While Japan has witnessed a near doubling of new asylum-seekers in 2008 (1,600 claims) and 2009 (1,400 claims) compared to previous years (950 and 820 claims in 2006 and 2007 respectively)9, figures for the Republic of Korea have halved during 2008 and 2009 (360 and 320 asylum claims respectively) compared to 720 new asylum claims in 2007. The numbers in both countries still remain modest in comparison with other industrialized countries. In contrast, in North America, an estimated 82,300 new asylum applications were submitted in 2009, 4,200 claims or 5 per cent less than in 2008. The United States of America registered approximately 49,000 new applications, virtually the same figure as 2008 (49,600), whereas Canada saw a 10 per cent decrease, linked to a lower number of Mexican and Haitian asylum-seekers. Although this is the second highest level in six years, the 2008 and 2009 levels are nearly half that of 2001, when close to 150,000 applications were lodged in Canada and the United States of America together."
