Venezuelans lead in US asylum requests as crisis deepens

New data shows Venezuelans are leading asylum requests to the United States for the first time, as the middle class in the country are fleeing the crashing, oil-dependent economy. The U.S. government's Citizenship and Immigration Services reported that 18,155 Venezuelans submitted asylum requests last year, a 150 percent increase over 2015 and six times the level seen in 2014. Data showed China in second place, with 17,745 requests coming from the country’s citizens. In 2014 a large number of Venezuelans sought asylum following months of protests seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro. More…