In May this year 87,000 asylum applications were lodged with the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). This was a 24 per cent increase on the number of claims made in May 2022.
Syrians, Afghans, Ivorians and Guineans were heavily represented among those making claims, but there was also a remarkable number of South Americans. Over 7,000 Venezuelans asylum seekers arrived in Europe this May, along with 2,500 Peruvians and 6,900 Colombians. In the case of Colombians, this is a 90 per cent increase on 2022. Most filed their asylum claims in Spain, and according to the EUAA, nearly all were first-time applicants.
Colombia has been beset by conflict for decades, but in newly-elected left-wing president Gustavo Petro they have a leader working hard to restore peace and prosperity. According to the CIA Factbook, the country ‘maintains relatively strong and independent democratic institutions characterised by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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