Asylum Applications
In 2023, the European Union faced the highest number of asylum applications since the 2015-16 refugee crisis. According to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) report, more than 1.14 million people sought international protection within the EU, marking an 18 percent increase from the previous year.
The figure is the highest since 2015-16 when 1.3 million and then 1.19 million people sought refuge in the EU.
Germany remained the top destination for asylum seekers in 2023. Syrians continued to submit the highest number of applications, with Afghans being the second-largest applicant group.
Notably, while the 2023 asylum applications were below the levels observed in 2015-16, the impact of increased violence and conflict near the EU’s borders is evident.
The report highlighted that the 1.1 million asylum applications were in addition to the refuge given to 4.4 million Ukrainians, who did not need to formally apply for international protection.
There was also a noted increase in asylum requests by Palestinians towards the end of the year, following the conflict triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel in October. This attack led to widespread casualties and tensions in the region.
The surge in asylum seekers is expected to fuel debates across European countries, where nationalist parties and far-right governments have capitalized on public discontent over migration policies.
The EU implemented new rules in December to address the issue, aiming to share the cost and responsibilities of hosting migrants more evenly, but nationalist groups argue that these rules are insufficient.
