(AP) The European Union’s asylum agency said Wednesday that the number of people seeking asylum in Europe has hit a six-year high, with Syrian nationals once again seeking international protection more than people from any other country.
The agency said that around 98,000 asylum applications were lodged in September in the 27 EU member countries plus Norway and Switzerland, together known as the EU+. People who arrive in Europe fleeing conflict or persecution are far more likely to be granted asylum than those fleeing poverty alone.
Some 15,500 Syrians officially sought international protection, while 13,700 Afghans applied. Afghans had been the largest applicant group every month since the Taliban takeover in the summer of 2021.
