Asylum seekers in Europe reached a 7-year high last year. Syrians and Afghans file most claims

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says the number of people seeking asylum in Europe reached a seven-year high last year. The EU’s asylum agency said on Wednesday that more than 1.1 million people have filed asylum applications in 2023, most of them Syrian nationals. The rise in the number of asylum seekers is a divisive issue in many European countries. It pits those who say that more should be turned away at borders against those who feel the continent should welcome people fleeing persecution. The agency says Germany received the most applications by far. But Cyprus was under the greatest pressure from migrants wanting to stay on the island, relative to its population. People from Turkey also applied in greater number.