This is how sharply the number of asylum applications in Europe will increase in 2023. How well do you know Christmas traditions? Test your knowledge in the quiz here

The number of asylum seekers in Europe has risen sharply this year. The director of the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA), Nina Gregori, told newspapers from media group Funke that the total number of asylum applications in the EU will be “well above one million” by 2023. In October alone, her agency recorded about 123,000 applications, the highest monthly number in seven years.

Gregori does not expect the numbers to drop, on the contrary: “The world around us is becoming increasingly unstable. The protection needs of refugees will therefore not decrease in 2024 and beyond and in some cases will even increase. 2024 will be a “challenging year”.

As the Funke newspapers report, citing data from the EUAA, around 937,000 asylum applications had been registered in the EU at the end of October. That was an increase of 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

Germany is the main target

Germany remains the main destination for asylum seekers in the EU, according to the EU Asylum Agency. According to the EUAA, Germany was responsible for 27 percent of all asylum applications in October. That was more than in France and Italy, where the second and third most asylum applications were submitted respectively.

The number of refugees from Ukraine has also continued to rise as a result of Russia’s war of aggression. EUAA boss Gregori told Funke newspapers that at the end of October there were 4.16 million Ukrainians registered in the EU who would enjoy temporary protection there, 320,000 more than in January. At the end of October, Germany was the main host country in the EU with around 1.17 million Ukrainian refugees, followed by Poland with 957,000 Ukrainians. (sda/afp)