Rise of 7% in refugees seeking asylum

THE number of people seeking asylum in Ireland has increased by more than 7% this year, while other EU States have been showing a strong drop in refugee applications.

A total of 7,213 people applied for asylum here in the first eight months of the year, compared to 6,714 in the same period last year. According to new statistics by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, most industrialised nations, including EU countries, the US and Australia, have seen a sharp drop in the numbers claiming asylum in the first six months of 2002.

The latest figures show that Britain remains the most popular destination for asylum seekers worldwide, with over 51,500 applications since the start of the year, followed by Germany, the US, France and Austria. Ireland is ranked 12th in a list of 29 countries.