Venezuelans seeking asylum in EU up by almost 800% in two years

The monthly number of Venezuelans seeking international protection in the EU per month has increased sharply over the past two years, now representing the 10th most common nationality. Spain received by far the most applications lodged by Venezuelans in February 2018, with 1,160 applications out of almost 1,400. In February 2018, Venezuelan nationals were by far the largest group of applicants in Spain, followed by citizens of Colombia. Nationals of El Salvador and Honduras were also included among the six main countries of origin of applicants in Spain, with about two-thirds of all applications involving Latin-American citizenships. For comparison, Venezuelan, Colombian, Salvadorian and Honduran applicants represented only 5% of all applications lodged in the EU as a whole in February. More…