CASE STUDY ASYLUM SEEKERS IN EUROPE The need to seek international protection is one of the main reasons that forces people to cross borders. The graph shows the trend of first-time asylum applicants in EU countries from 2008 to 2023. Between 2008 and 2013, the numbers increased steadily but remained below 400,000. A sharp increase occurred in 2015, reaching a peak of 1,216,900 applicants, likely due to the refugee crisis driven by conflicts in Syria and other regions. After this peak, the numbers declined significantly, dropping to 564,100 by 2018. From 1 Answer the questions. 1. In which year did the number of asylum seekers reach its peak? What was the reason? 2. When did it start rising again? 2019 to 2020, the trend fluctuated, with a notable decline to 417,100 in 2020, possibly influenced by COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, asylum applications made a recovery in 2021 and increased further in 2022 and 2023, reaching 1,048,900 a 20% increase compared to 2022. This recent rise reflects ongoing global conflicts, economic instability, and migration pressures. The graph highlights both the EU s challenges in managing asylum requests and the broader geopolitical factors driving migration trends. 2 GROUP WORK Discuss the questions in small groups. 1. What reasons might people have to leave their countries? 3. What caused a decline in 2020? 2. What are the main problems they might face as refugees? 4. What is the main reason that forces people to leave their country? 3. What could international governments do to help them? steadily: costantemente Difficulties 259