UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report finds asylum applications rise to their highest annual total since 2003
New and old conflicts last year, including those in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia contributed to an eight percent increase in asylum applications in industrialised countries during 2012, with the sharpest rise seen in asylum requests from Syrians, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.
According to UNHCR, 479,300 claims were registered across the 44 countries surveyed in UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report, the highest annual total since 2003.
High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said: "Wars are driving more and more people to seek asylum. And this makes upholding the international system of asylum more critical than ever. At a time of conflict, I urge countries to keep their borders open for people fleeing for their lives."
Asylum claims in the United Kingdom were up six percent to 27,400, while Germany and Sweden saw increases of over forty percent. The single largest recipient of asylum requests was the United States with 83,400 claims.
Afghanistan remained the main country of origin of asylum seekers and Syria was the second largest.
UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report can be downloaded here .