Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees as hundreds of thousands of desperate people flee war and misery in search of a better life.
Those who do reach European Union countries quickly discover there are wildly differing rules for how asylum-seekers are treated.
This has sparked divisions among members of the 28-nation bloc as migrants naturally flock to countries with the most favourable regimes in the absence of a common policy.
Below is a rundown of help available to asylum-seekers in major EU nations.
- BRITAIN: In 2014, the country took in 31,745 asylum-seekers, one-sixth less than Germany.
Refugees in Britain are often offered housing, but rarely in London or the wealthy southeast of England.
They can also receive a weekly allowance of £36.95 per person (50 euros, $56). Women who are pregnant or who have children aged up to three years old may receive a bit more, from £3-£5 a week depending on the child's age.
A supplementary one-off benefit of £300 is available for women who are about to give birth or who have recently done so.
Asylum-seekers may also have access to the National Health Service and their children receive free education from the age of five to 17.
- GERMANY: In the first seven months of 2015, a total of 218,221 requests for asylum were registered in Germany, compared with 202,834 for the whole of 2014.
Basic needs -- housing, food, clothes and health care -- are covered by initial welcome centres.
Asylum-seekers receive 143 euros per month per adult for personal needs.
Syrians benefit from extra protection. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that those refused asylum would not be repatriated to their EU point of entry.
- SWEDEN: Sweden has the highest proportion of asylum-seekers per thousand inhabitants: at 8.4, compared with 1.2 for the EU as a whole.
Asylum-seekers can request a daily allowance while waiting for their request to be processed.
This is worth between 60 to 225 euros ($67.5 to $253) a month per adult depending on their personal situation, such as whether they are single or part of a larger family. Minors receive between 36 and 159 euros a month.
Asylum-seekers are housed either in a reception centre or find lodging themselves, in which case they receive a monthly allowance of 37 euros for someone who is single, and up to 89 euros for a family.
- FRANCE: France registered 37,919 asylum requests in the first seven months of 2015. The number has dropped recently however. In 2014, France reported a decline of five percent while the rest of the EU showed an increase of 44 percent.
Two types of aid are provided. Adults who are not housed in reception centres receive a monthly allowance of 340.50 euros while their application is being considered.
For asylum-seekers living in reception centres, the monthly allowance varies between 91 and 718 euros according to the family situation and the facilities provided.
Asylum-seekers receive health care, and children aged between six and 16 must attend school.
- ITALY: Asylum requests soared by 143 percent in 2014 to 64,625.
Asylum-seekers receive food, medical aid, Italian lessons and legal aid.
After six months they are granted a residence permit and are allowed to work until a final decision is taken regarding their status.
- AUSTRIA: Requests for asylum jumped by 60 percent in 2014 to 28,035.
Asylum-seekers receive medical care, and one of two kinds of assistance.
Either they are housed and fed at a reception centre and receive 40 euros per month, or they are offered independent accommodation along with more money to buy food and basic necessities.
They can only do seasonal work, like fruit picking. Ayslum requests for Syrians are handled more quickly than those of other nationalities.
Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees as hundreds of thousands of desperate people flee war and misery in search of a better life.
Those who do reach European Union countries quickly discover there are wildly differing rules for how asylum-seekers are treated.
This has sparked divisions among members of the 28-nation bloc as migrants naturally flock to countries with the most favourable regimes in the absence of a common policy.
Below is a rundown of help available to asylum-seekers in major EU nations.
– BRITAIN: In 2014, the country took in 31,745 asylum-seekers, one-sixth less than Germany.
Refugees in Britain are often offered housing, but rarely in London or the wealthy southeast of England.
They can also receive a weekly allowance of £36.95 per person (50 euros, $56). Women who are pregnant or who have children aged up to three years old may receive a bit more, from £3-£5 a week depending on the child’s age.
A supplementary one-off benefit of £300 is available for women who are about to give birth or who have recently done so.
Asylum-seekers may also have access to the National Health Service and their children receive free education from the age of five to 17.
– GERMANY: In the first seven months of 2015, a total of 218,221 requests for asylum were registered in Germany, compared with 202,834 for the whole of 2014.
Basic needs — housing, food, clothes and health care — are covered by initial welcome centres.
Asylum-seekers receive 143 euros per month per adult for personal needs.
Syrians benefit from extra protection. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that those refused asylum would not be repatriated to their EU point of entry.
– SWEDEN: Sweden has the highest proportion of asylum-seekers per thousand inhabitants: at 8.4, compared with 1.2 for the EU as a whole.
Asylum-seekers can request a daily allowance while waiting for their request to be processed.
This is worth between 60 to 225 euros ($67.5 to $253) a month per adult depending on their personal situation, such as whether they are single or part of a larger family. Minors receive between 36 and 159 euros a month.
Asylum-seekers are housed either in a reception centre or find lodging themselves, in which case they receive a monthly allowance of 37 euros for someone who is single, and up to 89 euros for a family.
– FRANCE: France registered 37,919 asylum requests in the first seven months of 2015. The number has dropped recently however. In 2014, France reported a decline of five percent while the rest of the EU showed an increase of 44 percent.
Two types of aid are provided. Adults who are not housed in reception centres receive a monthly allowance of 340.50 euros while their application is being considered.
For asylum-seekers living in reception centres, the monthly allowance varies between 91 and 718 euros according to the family situation and the facilities provided.
Asylum-seekers receive health care, and children aged between six and 16 must attend school.
– ITALY: Asylum requests soared by 143 percent in 2014 to 64,625.
Asylum-seekers receive food, medical aid, Italian lessons and legal aid.
After six months they are granted a residence permit and are allowed to work until a final decision is taken regarding their status.
– AUSTRIA: Requests for asylum jumped by 60 percent in 2014 to 28,035.
Asylum-seekers receive medical care, and one of two kinds of assistance.
Either they are housed and fed at a reception centre and receive 40 euros per month, or they are offered independent accommodation along with more money to buy food and basic necessities.
They can only do seasonal work, like fruit picking. Ayslum requests for Syrians are handled more quickly than those of other nationalities.
