Click on the links below to see what they can expect when they arrive at the main host countries.
Many asylum seekers pass from one European country to another before applying for asylum.
Although the European Union has been trying to harmonise its asylum procedures, there are still differences in the kind of reception an asylum seeker can expect. The reasons for going to a particular country are numerous - and range from money to language and cultural links. In 2000, just under 400,000 asylum seekers lodged applications for asylum in the 15 EU countries. The biggest groups came from Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran - all countries from which there may, in the eyes of EU governments, be legitimate reasons to flee. But only about a quarter of the asylum seekers were granted asylum status in 1999, the latest year for which there are figures.