EU counts nearly 1M asylum applications in 2022

By Timur Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - In 2022, a total of 966,000 asylum applications were filed in the European Union, the EU's asylum authority announced Wednesday in Valletta, Malta.

The authority registers an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. It is generally the highest figure since 2016, the authority said.

In addition to the counted asylum applications, according to the authority, there are also about 4 million people who fled Ukraine and were received in the EU.

In terms of asylum applications in 2022, Syrians are in first place with 132,000 applications. They are followed by Afghans with 129,000 and Turkish nationals with 55,000 applications.

Applications from Türkiye have doubled compared to the previous year, according to the EU agency.

Among the applications from 2022, 632,000 were decided in the first instance, according to the statement. The authority further reported that the overall recognition rate was 40%.

Among the reasons for the sharp increase from 2021 to 2022, the EU asylum agency cited the removal of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Armed conflict and a worsening food situation in many parts of the world also contributed to the high number, according to the release.