War-weary Afghans seek exit

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 4 (UPI) -- The number of Afghans seeking asylum in Europe doubled last year to nearly 18,000 -- the highest increase for any major country, sources said.

By comparison, applications from Iraqis seeking asylum in Europe fell 10 percent in 2008, The New York Times reported Saturday.

"People can't find jobs here," said Abdul Ahad of Kabul. "And if you go to a place where there's work, you'll be killed in a week."

Ahad, 26, is among the surge of young Afghans frustrated by endless war, a lack of prospects and the slow pace of change in Afghanistan, the Times reported.

Ahad, and others like him, told the Times they are willing to pay as much as $25,000 to smugglers who arrange routes to Australia and to Europe, where the Afghans then apply for asylum.

One smuggler said his business had increased by 60 percent during the last year and he was turning away customers for the first time in 11 years.

"It's out of my power to deal with the demand," the smuggler told the Times. "I never imagined it would get like this."