5,178 ARMENIANS LODGED ASYLUM APPLICATIONS IN 2004

YEREVAN, MARCH 11. ARMINFO. 5,178 citizens of Armenia applied for
asylum to industrially developed states in 2004.

The press-service of UNHCR Office in Yerevan informs ARMINFO that as to
the number of applications, Armenia is in the 18th place in the world.

Armenians lodged asylum applications in the following industrialized
countries:

Austria 414, Belgium 477, Bulgaria 86, Canada 38, Cyprus 127, Czech
75, Denmark 28, Finland 42, France 1314, Germany 544, Great Britain
50, Greece 21, Hungary 16, Netherlands 228, Ireland 9, Luxemburg 10,
Norway 46, Poland 18, Spain 91, Slovakia 151, Sweden 485, Switzerland
329, USA 579. The number o

f asylum applications lodged in Europe and the non-European
industrialized countries declined sharply in 2004. In 50 countries in
total 396,400 asylum-seekers applied for refugee status. This is 22%
less than in 2003 (508,200). The main receiving countries in 2004
were France (61,600), USA (52,400), United Kingdom (40,200), Germany
(35,600) and Canada (25,500). The largest group of asylum-seekers
in 2004 was from Russian Federation (30,100), the majority of whom
is Chechens; followed by asylum seekers from Serbia and Montenegro
(22,300), China (19,700), Turkey (16,200) and India (11,900). Armenia
is on the 18th place (5,178).