EU asylum applications on the rise

The EU statistics office, Eurostat, said on 22 March 2013 the EU registered 330,000 asylum seekers in 2012, up from 302,000 applicants in 2011.

Afghans remain the top asylum applicants in the EU followed closely by Syrians, Russians, Pakistanis and Serbs.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: EU lawmakers reinforce asylum seekers' rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-lawmakers-reinforce-asylum-seekers-rights/

European Commission, RAPID: STAT/13/48: The number of asylum applicants registered in the EU27 rose to more than 330 000 in 2012 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STAT-13-48_en.htm

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