U.N. Estimates More than 21 Million Refugees in 2000

Refugees, asylum seekers and others under concern of the U.N. refugee agency stood at approximately 21.1 million in the year 2000, according to U.N. statistics. Globally, Afghans constitute UNHCR's largest caseload, with an estimated 3.6 million people, or 30 percent of the world's refugee population. The second largest group, according to the statistics, is comprised of civilians from Burundi, 567,000 of whom are living in Tanzania. Iraqis make up the third largest refugee population, with 497,400 living in Iran.