United Nations says the number of people seeking asylum in industrialised countries rose by 28 percent last year.
Figures released by the UN’s Refugee Agency show there were more than 6 lakh applicants, the highest total for ten years.
The largest number were from Syria.
Syria’s war has created 2.6 million refugees.
While the vast majority are staying in neighbouring countries, tens of thousands are now plying for asylum in Europe, over 56,000 last year, more than double 2012’s figure.
The UN Refugee Agency expects even more applications from Syria this year.
Germany received the most asylum applications of any industrialised country, closely followed by the United States.