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 quota 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. 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, persecuted journalists and other categories like that."

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.