Zimbabweans top world asylum seekers by far, UN refugee agency reports
By APFriday, June 18, 2010
UN: Zimbabweans top asylum seekers worldwide
HARARE, Zimbabwe — The U.N. refugee agency says Zimbabweans top the list of people seeking asylum abroad.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in its latest report 158,200 Zimbabweans sought asylum last year, fleeing political and economic turmoil and uncertainties over a fragile coalition government.
By comparison, about 48,600 people from Myanmar, also known as Burma, applied for asylum.
They were followed by about 39,000 Afghans, 39,200 Colombians and 37,900 Somalis.
The report, available in Zimbabwe’s capital on Friday, says nine out of 10 Zimbabwean asylum seekers sought refuge in neighboring South Africa.
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