Record number of asylum seekers has arrived in Norway so far this year, according to reports reaching here from Oslo on Friday.

9,900 asylum seekers have arrived in Norway until July this year, an increase by 45 percent compared with the same period last year, reported the Norwegian newspaper online The Norway Post.

5,700 of 9,900 asylum seekers come from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia or Iraq. 1,417 persons claim to be minors. More than 1,000 of these come from Afghanistan, added the report.

It also indicates that 2009 could be a new record year for asylum seekers, the report said.

"About 40 percent have been granted asylum or other forms of protection in Norway", the Immigration Directorate was quoted by the newspaper online.

Last year, around 14,400 asylum seekers arrived in Norway, nearly double the number from the year before.

Source: Xinhua