Pope calls for govts to respect right of asylum

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI marked World Refugee Day on Wednesday by calling on governments to respect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees and to protect those fleeing for their lives.

At the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican, the pontiff invoked the annual event so that "public opinion does not forget those who are forced to flee their home countries following real threats to their lives".

He wished that "asylum and the recognition of their (refugees') rights be guaranteed" and invited "governments to offer their protection to those who find themselves in these difficult situations".

The pope, the head of the worldwide Roman Catholic church, said welcoming refugees was an "act of human solidarity" and for Christians was "a practical way of demonstrating evangelical love".

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, there are now more than 14 million refugees in the world.

On Wednesday, the UNHCR noted that the flow of refugees increased in 2006 for the first time in five years, as a result of the conflict in Iraq.