204 ARMENIAN CITIZENS GOT REFUGEE STATUS IN US IN 2002

PanARMENIAN.Net - As reported by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, 265 Armenian citizens applied to the US for the reception of the refugee status, 204 of them got it. Among the former USSR states Ukraine presented the greatest number of refugees: 3959 applications submitted, 1618 of which were approved. Russia follows with 1748 applications, 731 of which were approved. 180 Azeri citizens and 33 Georgian ones appealed for the refugee status as well (correspondingly 109 and 16 approved), "Washington ProFile" agency informs. According to the data of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1389 Armenian citizens asked for political asylum in the United States last year. 959 applications were approved. 861 Russian citizens made an analogous request to the American authorities (395 approved), 312 Azeri citizens (252 approved) and 187 Georgian citizens (68 approved). It is interesting to note that residents of wealthy countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Ireland and some others asked for political asylum in the US as well.