(Politico) The number of people requesting asylum in the European Union last year soared to its highest level since the 2015-16 migrant crisis, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).
Figures released by the EUAA on Wednesday show the EU, plus Norway and Switzerland, recorded 1.14 million asylum applications in 2023, up 18 percent on the previous year and a seven-year high.
Syrian and Afghan nationals submitted the most applications — 181,000 and 114,000, respectively — continuing a yearslong trend.
But they were closely followed for the first time by Turkish nationals, who submitted more than 100,000 applications, up 82 percent compared to last year.
