Asylum applications rise by 18% in 2023, EU migration agency reports

The EU’s migration agency reported an 18% increase in asylum applications in 2023, with Syrians and Afghans representing the highest number and one-fourth of the applicants, Khaama Press reported on Wednesday.

A total of 1.4 million asylum requests were registered in EU member countries, European Union’s migration agency said in its report on February 28.

The number of asylum seekers in 2023 increased by 18% to 1.14 million, the highest level since the 2016-2015 migrant crisis, the report adds.

The EU agency mentions an unprecedented number of Palestinians seeking asylum after the Gaza war, reaching 11,600 individuals.

Germany remains the main destination for asylum seekers in the EU, constituting nearly one-third of the applications in 2023.

Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, also reported the highest increase in illegal border crossings since 2016, as the EU has tightened asylum laws and increased its external borders since the 2016-2015 crisis.