United Nations Radio

Despite a drop in their numbers, Iraqis remain by far the top nationality seeking asylum in industrialized countries in the first half of 2008.~

The UN refugee agency-UNHCR says a total of 19,500 asylum claims were lodged by Iraqis in 44 industrialized countries.

UNHCR Spokesman Ron Redmond says this is an 18 per cent decrease compared to the first half of 2007.

"Despite this downward trend, Iraqis still accounted for 12 per cent of all asylum applications lodged in the industrialized world in the first half of the year. The UNHCR report shows that the number of asylum claims made by Iraqis was higher than the combined number of asylum claims submitted by citizens of the Russian Federation and China, which were the second and third most important source countries."

UNHCR says other important countries of origin of asylum seekers were Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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