THERE is no such thing as a typical asylum seeker. `Robert' came to Ireland two years ago from an African country where he had been imprisoned for political activities. He is a graduate and was working as a sales manager before he left. He chose to come to Ireland rather than to France or the US because "Ireland does not have any political influence in my country" and that makes him feel safer here.

A single man, he lives on £60 supplementary welfare allowance and £29 rent allowance. He understands why Europeans have been brought up to have racist attitudes towards Africans, but has been generally well treated in Ireland.

The main thing he misses while waiting for a ruling on his asylum application is freedom. He cannot travel; he cannot work, even though he has a business studies degree; he is not happy living on social welfare: he would like to go to college to improve his English, but, unlike other European countries, there is no Government funding to allow asylum seekers to do this.

`Faye' comes from a Middle Eastern country which has seen considerable conflict and war in recent years. She is a Christian in a largely Islamic country, but that is not why she wants to stay in Ireland. She and her father came here to visit her brothers - who are married to Irish women - just over a year ago, and while they were here her father suffered a serious stroke.

He has been allowed to stay indefinitely because of his illness, and she has a visa until Christmas.

She talks about her best experience of Ireland being the way in which her father was treated in hospital, and the great kindness of people towards her during his illness.

She misses her country deeply. However, it would be difficult for her to go back and live there as a single woman as she would need a man to protect her in her home city, where hunger and deprivation have led to widespread crime and violence.

She has been told by Department of Justice officials that she may be able to work in Ireland in four or five years.

Refugees in Ireland, as elsewhere, are understandably reluctant to be identified, both for fear of jeopardising their chances of asylum and because of any repercussions for their relatives in the country they have left.