11 Nations Meeting on Influx of Iranians Seeking Asylum

GENEVA — Senior representatives from Canada, Western Europe, and Australia began three days of private consultations Monday on problems posed by an influx of Iranians seeking asylum in their countries, U.N. officials said.

Representatives of the Geneva headquarters of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees also attended the talks, the latest in a series called to discuss refugees.

According to official estimates, about 100,000 Iranians have sought asylum in Western Europe, North America and Australia since 1980, following the revolution that overthrew Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran.

The 11 countries represented at the talks include West Germany, where nearly 10,000 refugees, many entering from East Berlin, sought asylum last month. The biggest number--2,339--were Iranians.