UNHCR says highest ever number of asylum applications submitted by Pak in 2014

A report has revealed that more than 26,000 applications seeking asylum were received from Pakistan in 2014, the highest-ever number of such applications received from a country on record, making the nation the sixth largest source of asylum seekers.

A report published by the UNHCR titled "Asylum Trends 2014," showed that about 26,300 applications were submitted by asylum seekers in Pakistan, which is slightly over four percent higher than 25,200 applications received in 2013, reported The Express Tribune.

The UN agency noted that although the increase was nominal, just 4.3 percent higher than previous year's numbers, yet in comparison to the global increase of approximately 45 percent last year, it was the fourth consecutive annual rise for the country.

While request for asylum to Italy from Pakistanis rose by more than 100% from 3,000 claims in 2013 to 7,100 last year, the number of Pakistanis seeking asylum in Hungary decreased significantly from over 3,000 claims in 2013 to just 300 last year.

Barring Italy, Germany and United Kingdom were the other major destinations for asylum seekers from Pakistan with 4,000 and 3,900 applications, respectively.