BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Asylum applications in the European Union jumped 18% in 2023 to 1.14 million, the highest level since the 2015-2016 migration crisis, data shows published on Wednesday by the EU Asylum Agency (AUEA).
The new figures are likely to fuel an already heated debate on immigration ahead of a series of elections on the continent, particularly in the European Parliament in June, where far-right parties are expected to make inroads .
Syrian and Afghan nationals remain the largest groups among asylum seekers, according to agency data. Newly, Turks constitute the third group of asylum seekers, with an increase of 82% in requests compared to 2022.
Amid the war between Israel and Hamas, the number of Palestinians seeking asylum in the EU will hit a record high of nearly 11,600 in 2023, the agency said, while noting the difficulty of registering correctly their numbers, as most member states do not recognize the Palestinian state.
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Germany was once again the top destination for asylum seekers in the bloc, receiving almost a third of all applications.
While asylum applications for 2023 are slightly below 2016 levels, they add to the 4.4 million Ukrainian nationals who have sought refuge in the EU since Russia’s invasion of their country and who are not do not need to submit an official request.
Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, announced in January that it had recorded the biggest increase in irregular border crossings in the bloc since 2016, helping to fuel debate over how to curb the immigration, with some local authorities saying they are overwhelmed by the influx of migrants.
Brussels has strengthened its asylum laws since the 2015-2016 migration crisis, and has struck deals in the Middle East and North Africa aimed at discouraging departures from countries of origin. (Reporting Sarah Marsh; French version Diana Mandiá, editing by Kate Entringer)
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