The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has reported a significant surge in asylum applications in 2023. In October alone, EU+ countries received approximately 123,000 applications, marking the highest monthly number in seven years. This trend indicates that by the end of 2023, the EU+ is likely to receive well over a million asylum applications.
From January to October, a total of 937,000 asylum applications were filed in the EU, representing a 22 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The exact figures for 2023 will be confirmed next year, but the trend suggests that the EU+ will likely receive well over a million asylum applications by the end of this year. Notably, Germany leads in the number of asylum seekers.
EUAA Director, Nina Gregory, anticipates that the need to protect refugees will not decrease in 2024 and beyond, and in some cases will even increase.
