2007年VOA标准英语-UN Notes Increase in Iraqis Seeking Asylum in I

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
23 March 2007

The U.N. refugee agency reports a significant increase in the number of Iraqis seeking asylum¹ in industrialized countries. A new report shows Iraqis topped the list of asylum seekers in 36 industrialized countries last year, followed by asylum seekers from China, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro and Turkey. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

registration2 papers in front of the offices of the UNHCR in Damascus, Syria before registering at the agency, 11 Feb 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070529/0831030.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

An Iraqi refugee and his wife view registration papers in front of the offices of the UNHCR in Damascus, Syria before registering at the agency, 11 Feb 2007

The report shows asylum applications by Iraqis in industrialized countries rose 77 percent last year to more than 22,000. It says this is the largest number since 2002, the last full year that Saddam Hussein was in power, when more than 50,000 Iraqis sought asylum in Europe and other industrialized countries.

U.N. refugee agency spokesman Ron Redmond says, during Saddam's reign³, Iraqis mainly fled from persecution⁴, whereas now they are fleeing generalized violence, conflict and persecution. Redmond says it is hard to get accurate figures on how many Iraqis are leaving the country.

"It is difficult to say how many are actually getting outside Iraq because it is getting more and more difficult to leave. But we fear that this situation in Iraq is going to get worse before it gets better and that you are going to see increasing numbers of Iraqis fleeing inside and also externally," he said.

The number of Iraqis who have fled to the West is small in comparison to the two million Iraqis who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, primarily Syria and Jordan. The UNHCR also reports nearly two million other people are internally displaced within Iraq.

The report says about 9,000 Iraqis filed asylum claims in Sweden last year, making it the top country of destination, followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Greece. The United States registered 537 asylum claims.

Redmond says the United States has agreed to boost its refugee quota⁵ and will accept about 7,000 Iraqis for resettlement this year.

"UNHCR is quickly identifying and registering candidates for resettlement not just to the U.S. but elsewhere," he said. "Our target for this year is for the resettlement of 20,000 vulnerable cases, the most vulnerable cases - torture victims,… victims of targeted attacks, severe medical cases, persecuted⁶ journalists and other categories like that."

The report finds the sharp increase in the number of Iraqi asylum seekers in 2006 contrasts with a general downward trend in the total number of applications for asylum in industrialized countries, which fell by 10 percent last year.

The UNHCR says 2006 marks the fifth year in a row that asylum claims have fallen. It attributes the decline to improved conditions in asylum seekers' home countries and to more restrictive policies in industrialized countries. The agency warns the drive by industrialized countries to keep the number of asylum seekers as low as possible may result in some refugees being denied the protection they need.

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

3 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

4 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

5 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

6 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。