The number of refugees in the world has increased in the past five years largely as a result of the crisis in Iraq, Somalia and Sudan's Darfur region, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.

Guterres said the accelerated return of Southern Sudanese to their homes in the vast region this year is one bright spot in the rather bad year.

"Unfortunately this bright spot does not correspond to the world refugee situation at the present moment. In the last year and for the first time after five years of decreasing numbers in refugees worldwide, the number of refugees has grown again as it is now 10 million all over the world," Guterres told journalists in Nairobi.

"Given massive repatriation movements like the one we are having in Southern Sudan or in Afghanistan, or Liberia, Sierra Leone or in Angola and in some many other countries, due to different crises around the world, the numbers of refugees is on the rise again," he said.

Guterres warning came as events were held worldwide to mark World Refugee Day.

The UNHCR chief said some countries are tightening refugee policy to the point where some of those in need of asylum are being kept out, fuelling the increase.

The UN estimates that nearly 44 million people have left their homes because of threats to their safety but who have not crossed any international borders.

UNHCR said the number of refugees under its mandate at the end of 2006 had grown 14 percent from the previous year to 10 million.

It was the first surge in refugee numbers since 2002, mainly as a result of crises in the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa. Sudan's Darfur, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo also contributed to the rise, he said.

The UNHCR chief appealed to governments across the world to stop treating refugees as terrorists, but as the victims of terror.

"It is very important to realize that as especially after the 9/ 11 terrorist attacks [in the United States], the security of the countries need to be preserved but refugees are not terrorists. I think it's important to say and to repeat they are not terrorists, they are the first victims of terror," Guterres told journalists in Nairobi.

He said recognition that stateless people exist is a vital first step towards finding a solution to their predicament.

"I have very grave concerns about the way things are moving ahead for refugees in many parts of the world," said Guterres.

However, the UN said there were reasons for optimism amid the grim statistics, noting that millions of refugees have returned home to countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Source: Xinhua