Asylum applications soared last year to almost 1 millionhighest score since 2016 controlled conflict, food insecurity and removal of restrictions on COVID-19revealed European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA).

Total, oh 966 thousand More than twice as many people arrived seeking such international protection than in 2021. According to the EUAA, this increase was due to the lifting of coronavirus-related restrictions, as well as underlying long-term trends such as conflict and food insecurity in regions of origin.

To this are added 4 million people from Ukraine arrived in search of temporary protection, before the war broke out on their territory.

However, the European Union granted asylum only 632 thousand During the past year. Although this is one-fifth more than in 2021, 636 thousand cases are still pending solutions, the highest number since 2015 and an increase 44% compared to 2021.

According to the European agency, the asylum recognition rate in the EU in 2022 was 40%, up 5% from the previous year. The numbers above are for Syrians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Eritreans, Yemenis and Malians.

In contrast, less than 4% is awarded to citizens India, North Macedonia, Moldova, Vietnam, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Nepalamong others.

The nationalities that most sought asylum on the European continent were the Syrians, with 132,000 coming from a country that had been ravaged by war for more than a decade. They were followed by the Afghans, numbering 129 thousand people. Inquiries from both countries also recorded a record number since 2016.