The European migration crisis of 2015-2016 and the migrants from Central America gathering on the US border since 2017 have created headlines and presented challenges for Western governments. In this paper, I examine the trends in, and determinants of, the number of asylum seekers applying for refugee status in the developed world. This must be understood against the background of an international policy regime that evolved in response to refugee crises and geo-political imperatives. While policy has drawn a sharp distinction between refugees and other immigrants, that difference has become increasingly blurred among asylum migrants. In this light, I examine the interplay between migration pressures, public opinion, and asylum policies in recent decades.

中文翻译：

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庇护向发达世界的迁移：迫害，激励措施和政策

2015-2016年的欧洲移民危机以及自2017年以来在美国边境聚集的中美洲移民成为头条新闻，并给西方政府带来了挑战。在本文中，我研究了发达国家中申请难民身份的寻求庇护者的趋势及其决定因素。必须在为应对难民危机和地缘政治势力而发展的国际政策制度的背景下理解这一点。尽管政策在难民和其他移民之间形成了鲜明的区别，但在庇护移民中，这种区别变得越来越模糊。有鉴于此，我考察了近几十年来移民压力，舆论和庇护政策之间的相互作用。