The number of first time asylum seekers who applied for protection in the European Union surged 85 per cent in the second quarter versus a year earlier, spelling out the gravity of the migration crisis as citizens from war-ravaged countries such as Syria seek shelter in Europe.
One third of applicants were either Syrians or Afghans, according to figures from Eurostat, the EU's statistics authority. Compared to the first three months of the year, the number of first time applications was 15 per cent higher in the second quarter at 213,200.
The highest number of applications were registered in Germany. More than one in three applied for asylum in Germany, followed by Hungary - which received 15 per cent of total applications. The third most popular destination was Austria, which received 8 per cent of all applications recorded between April and June.