Political asylum seekers are rising in the world, leading to concerns. As per multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, the number of asylum seekers is on the rise all over the globe. The number of political leaders and activists seeking political asylum is also on the rise. Thousands of political leaders and activists seek political asylum every year from different countries. Political asylum is mostly sought in developed countries from politically troublesome and conflicting countries, though neighboring countries are also preferred by political asylum seekers. But it remains unclear whether and how much the political asylum seeking will be desirably reduced around the world in the future.
There are political and other reasons that lead to political asylum seeking by political leaders and activists that have remained unaddressed in many countries. Political instability, armed conflicts and human rights abuses are crucial reasons and may hinder the reduction in the need for political asylum seeking in different countries. The repression of the opposition and arbitrary arrests and detention take place in many countries. Armed conflicts have been going on in many countries which often target political leaders and — consequently — the possibility of political asylum remains all over the world, though it has been reduced in some countries. Conflicts targeted opposition political leaders in Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan and forced many political leaders to seek political asylum in other countries.
But compared to developed and well-functioning democratic countries, countries with a lack of strong political institutions have more opposition repression, leading to political asylum seeking. Consequently, the political leaders and activists of such countries seek political asylum mostly. These situations arise due to various reasons including intense political rivalry and autocratic practices where opposition figures face threats, leading them to flee for safety. Additionally, less functioning political institutions, the culture of political revenge and the lack of free, fair and credible elections are also responsible for high political asylum seeking from less democratic countries. There are many countries including Belarus and Nicaragua, where political leaders are repressed, leading to their asylum seeking.
But, hopefully saying, the government and various organizations have taken political, policy based and other measures to address conflicts and improve political grounds, reducing the need to seeking political asylum. Many countries have addressed their political conflicts and improved their political grounds with more political freedom and freedom of the media, leading to a reduction in the repression of the opposition and the need for seeking political asylum by political leaders and activists. Political freedom has improved in many countries in Asia and several other regions, even if many countries provide less political freedom. Regular elections and improved freedom of the media have also increased political freedom and reduced the repression of the opposition in many countries.
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But there are various flaws, leading to limited outcomes in addressing the reasons. There is insufficient political will, a neglect to address political rights and human rights and the lack of coordination of efforts that put hindrances to addressing the reasons behind asylum seeking by political leaders and activists in many countries. The violation of the political rights of minorities has increased in many countries including Eritrea and led to increased asylum seeking by political leaders and activists — though it has reduced in many other countries. But the commitment of many governments is low in improving political and civil rights, increasing the chance of repression and the need to seek political asylum.
Measures are needed to reduce the need for political asylum seeking by political leaders and activists. But addressing the reasons for armed conflicts including civil wars in conflicting countries and political conflicts between the government and the opposition in less democratic countries will be helpful in reducing the chance of it by political leaders and activists. Addressing geopolitical reasons, which sometimes lead to the political asylum of political leaders especially through patronizing or supporting conflicts in different countries and targeting political leaders, is vital and can help reduce political asylum seeking.
Since political leaders and activists seek political asylum due to the repression by other political parties especially the ruling party, addressing reasons and concerns is vital in many countries to improve political culture and reduce the chance of it. Tolerance among political parties is vital as its absence leads to avoidable political crises and revenge politics. But the willingness of political parties and leaders will help improve the political grounds and provide more political freedom.
