EU reveals the number of asylum seekers nearly halved in 2017

The number of people seeking international protection in Europe in 2017 dropped by almost half compared to the year before, with most applicants coming from Syria, the European Union's asylum agency said.

The European Asylum Support Office (Easo) said 706,913 people sought asylum in the 28 EU nations plus Norway and Switzerland in 2017, 43% lower than the year before.