This (below) is an Associated Press story published in the Washington Post on Friday. In the final paragraphs of the article we are given some important statistics.
From the WaPo:
ROME — Italian authorities say they have rescued more than 4,000 would-be migrants at sea over the past four days as the war in Syria and instability in Libya spawn new waves of refugees.
[….]
Italian maritime officials said 2,922 people were picked up Monday and Tuesday, and 1,165 were rescued Wednesday and Thursday.
[….]
The spike in migrants is primarily because of renewed instability in Libya, where refugees from Syria and across Africa gather, awaiting a chance to buy passage on smuggling boats, said Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency in Italy.
Let us not forget who helped destabilize Libya—Obama’s three witches: Hillary, Samantha and Susan!
Who knew Russia was in the top three countries producing ‘asylum seekers!’ LOL! They can’t all be gay men who heard about Villanova?
Syria, Russia and Afghanistan had the largest numbers of people fleeing their homelands to seek asylum last year, the U.N. agency said. Russia was the source of 39,779 asylum seekers, up from 22,650 in 2012. And 38,653 Afghans sought asylum last year, vs. 47,519 in 2012.
These are numbers to remember!
The 38 nations of Europe had 484,600 asylum claims in 2013, 32 percent higher than in 2012. The United States dealt with 88,360 asylum applications last year.
For new readers and as a reminder to our long-time readers, asylum seekers get to a country’s borders (or overstay a visa) and then request asylum (refugee status) claiming they will be “persecuted” if sent home. Once granted asylum (in the US for instance), they become “asylees” and are given all of the rights and welfare goodies that refugees screened abroad and flown in receive. ‘Asylum seekers’ (mostly economic migrants) are on the move worldwide—of course all attempting to get into first world countries.