Sorry guys, I only pop in every now and then :-)
According to a Home Office study, most asylum seekers are not aware that there are benefits so I would be interested to know where you have evidence that says otherwise and a comparison on the ease of getting benefits compared with France would be good too.
Here's a link to the study. 63 interviews held if that holds any sway. The report does date back to 2002 so the balance of nationalities has changed but not massively so.
On the links between britain and the countries that asylum seekers come from, here is a list from January to March 2014 from the Home Office of where asylum seekers are coming from;
Pakistan (3,343), Iran (2,417), Sri Lanka (1,808), Syria (1,669), Eritrea (1,377), Albania (1,326), Bangladesh (1,123), Afghanistan (1,040), India (965), Nigeria (915)
I count 5 out of the 10 as being countries we used to own, being granted independence from Britain between 1947 and 1960.