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This article analyzes the evolution of asylum policy and asylum-seekers? situation in three West European countries ? France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Although Germany and the United Kingdom have seen a drop in the number of asylum applications in the last years, possibly in reaction to changes in governmental policy, France in 2004 recorded an increase in its numbers. For most of the 1980s and 1990s Germany received the most applications for asylum in Western Europe. In the late 1990s the United Kingdom replaced Germany as the top destination, and in 2004, France became the top destination. While many authors and journalists state that the change is a result of ?tougher? policies being implemented; therefore asylum-seekers move to the next preferable country, I believe that the explanation is much more complicated. I propose to question whether governmental policy, the nature of the asylum-seekers themselves, or some other factor can explain the change in ?pull? of these countries over time to asylum-seekers. This research will help us understand the importance of governmental policy in shaping immigrants? decisions, and if, over time there is a ?race to the bottom? across the EU member states in terms of asylum policy, or if in general the particular policy nuances of a country are significant in explaining asylum-seekers? final place of application. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]