Continued Rise in EU Asylum Applications: Syrians in High Demand

The European Union, Norway, and Switzerland received over half a million asylum requests in the first half of 2023, marking a 28% increase compared to last year and the highest number since 2016. Syrians fleeing violence and unrest remain the largest group seeking asylum, followed by people from Venezuela, Turkey, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Germany received the majority of Syrian asylum applications, while Venezuelans mostly applied in Spain. The EUAA predicts that asylum applications could exceed 1 million by the end of the year.