There were 2,546 applications for asylum in the first seven months of this year, with the largest group being from Romania. Up to the end of July, 680 Romanians had applied for political asylum, followed by 501 Nigerians, writes Carol Coulter.
July had the highest number of applications of any month this year, with 571 received, or more than a fifth of the total so far for 1999. Some 250 Poles applied for asylum this year, compared with 118 Kosovars.