“UNHCR's
new 'Asylum Trends' report, which is based on data received from 44
governments in Europe, North America and parts of the Asia-Pacific,
says 330,700 people asked for refugee status in these 44 countries
between the start of January and the end of June. The figure marks a
rise of 24 per cent from the same period a year earlier, and slightly
higher than in the second half of last year (328,100 claims).”
“The
report warned that, based on historical trends showing higher numbers
of asylum-seekers in the second half of each year, 2014 could
produce as many as 700,000 claims – which would make it the
highest level in industrialized countries in 20 years and a level not
seen since the 1990s conflict in former Yugoslavia.”
“Of the
net overall increase in new claims shown in the report, more than two
thirds of these were in just six countries – Germany, the United
States, France, Sweden, Turkey and Italy.”
“Overall,
Syria was the main country of origin of people seeking asylum with a
more than two-fold increase (48,400 claims compared to 18,900 in the
same period in 2013). Iraq, where hundreds of thousands of people
have become newly displaced this year, produced 21,300 asylum
applications, followed by Afghanistan (19,300) and Eritrea (18,900).”
“Applications
for refugee status in industrialized countries are just one element
in the global picture of forced displacement from wars and conflict.
As of the end of 2013, some 51.2 million people were forcibly
displaced worldwide. Most remain either internally displaced
within their own countries, else as refugees hosted in states
bordering onto war zones.”
Comments
Post a Comment