Stockholm- Swedish authorities have registered a 30-per- cent drop in the number of asylum applications during the first six months of 2008, reports said Monday.

In all some 12,270 applications for asylum were registered from January to June, compared to 17,600 for the corresponding period in 2007, the Svenska Dagbladet daily said, citing statistics compiled by the Swedish Migration Board.

Iraqi nationals remained the largest refugee group, with 3,941 applications, but tighter asylum assessments introduced after a key ruling last autumn were believed to have contributed to a 58-per-cent drop in the number of applications from Iraq, the Migration Board said.

Other factors behind the drop included neighbouring Syria and Jordan imposing visa requirements for Iraqi nationals, as well as an overall reduction in the level of violence in Iraq, the Swedish agency said.

The second largest refugee group consisted of Somali nationals. The Migration Board said the number of asylum requests from Somalia increased 12 per cent, to 1,686 cases.

The agency's statistics said applications from Russia increased 28 per cent, to 460 cases for 2008 while applications from Iran increased by 61 per cent, to 332 cases. (dpa)