Asylum seeker numbers dropping in industrialized countries.

BRUSSELS -- The number of persons seeking asylum in industrialized countries fell sharply for the third year in a row in 2004 to its lowest level in 16 years, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports.

According to the UNHRC, Canada received 25,500, the third highest among the industrialized countries (However, Citizenship and Immigration Canada claims 33,000).

A total of 368,000 asylum seekers arrived last year in the 38 industrialized countries for which comparable historical statistics are available and was the lowest amount since 1988. In the six non-European countries, the total was also the lowest since 1986.

"With the numbers right down, most countries will now be able to devote more attention to improving the quality of their asylum systems, from the point of view of protecting refugees, rather than just cutting numbers," Raymond Hall, Director of the Europe Bureau of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said. "so that next time there is a crisis they are in a much better position to help the worst affected among them."

The top receiving countries were: France 61,600, United States 52,400, United kingdom 40,200, Germany 35,600, Canada 25,500.