2009-01-23 Xinhua: Asylum seekers to Norway more than doubled

[Ant.]

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI) announced Friday that the number of asylum seekers to Norway was more than double from 2007 to 2008.
    As many as 14,431 persons applied for asylum in Norway in 2008."This is an increase of 120 percent from the previous year but lower than in the early 2000s, when nearly 18,000 applied for asylum. The increase was especially higher for unaccompanied minors," said the UDI in a statement.
    Among them, 73 percent of the asylum seekers were men, and 48 percent, almost 7,000 people, were between the age of 18 and 29, the statement added.
    The UDI also pointed out that 1,374 people who claimed to be unaccompanied minors, applied for asylum in Norway last year. That represents an increase of 240 percent from 2007. Of all the asylum seekers claiming to be unaccompanied minors, 74 percent came from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Eritrea.
    "Norway was one of several European countries that experienced a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers in 2008," said UDI Director General Ida Borresen in the statement.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/23/content_10709482.htm

[Maastamuuttaja]

Asylum seekers´ receivers more than troubled.