【生词摘录】 refugee n.难民 reign v/n.统治flee from 逃避 persecution n.迫害 violence n.暴力 accurate a.正确的
UN Notes Increase in Iraqis Seeking Asylum in Industrialized Countries(1/2)
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 reign, Iraqis mainly fled from persecution, 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’s difficult to say how many are actually getting outside Iraq because it’s 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." 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.
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