The distribution of asylum seekers over Northern and Western European countries, 1985-2005

In the 1980s increasing numbers of asylum seekers sought refuge in Northern and Western Europe. The volume of asylum migration is, at least for a considerable part, determined by factors in the region of origin -a sincere asylum migrant has only push motives underlying his decision to migrate. Nevertheless, the choice of a certain country of destination can undoubtedly partly be determined by factors in potential receiving countries. The aim of this article is to estimate determinants of the distribution of asylum seekers in Northern and Western Europe in the period from 1985 to 2005.