Hike in asylum applications in industrialised countries in 2013. - The latest annual figures released by the United Nations' High Commission for Refugees on 21 March reveal that the number of asylum applications shot up in 44 industrialised nations in 2013, mainly due to the crisis in Syria. In total, nearly 612,700 people lodged asylum applications in 2013 in North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific region, the highest number since 2001. In the previous year, 2012, 479,300 applications were lodged, already swollen by the Syrian crisis. The asylum seekers' main countries of origin include six in states of war or conflict: Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq and Pakistan. Previously, Afghanistan had come top of the table for the number of asylum seekers around the world, but it now comes third - after Syria and the Russian Federation. - Europe. The biggest rise in asylum applications per continent has been in Europe. Last year, the 38 countries in the wider Europe registered a total of 484,600 requests for asylum, up a third on the 2012 figures (355,500 applications) (see also article on page 6). The highest number of asylum applications was lodged in Germany (109,600 applications), followed by France (60,100) and Sweden (54,300). Turkey is the country in Europe that houses the greatest number of refugees (due to the crisis in Syria), with 640,889 registered refugees. Some 44,800 requests for asylum were lodged in Turkey in 2013, mainly by people from Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 27,800 applications were lodged in Italy and 8,200 in Greece. - North America. The North American continent is well behind Europe in terms of numbers of asylum-seekers, with a total of 98,800 applications lodged in 2013. The main country of origin of asylum-seekers in North America is China. Canada has recently made changes to its asylum laws and has seen a fall in asylum applications to 10,400, half the 2012 number. The United States saw 88,400 asylum applications. For a long time, it was the main industrialised country in the world in which asylum applications were lodged, but in 2013, it was beaten by Germany. In 2012, there were 83,400 asylum applications in the United States. - Asia and the Pacific region. Japan saw 3,300 asylum applications, and South Korea 1,600, up on previous years. With 24,300 requests for asylum, Australia has also experienced a sharp rise on the 2012 figures (15,800), putting it almost on a par with Italy. Of the total number of asylum requests lodged, the eligibility criteria are met by between 62% and 95% of people from Syria, Eritrea, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan. The eligibility rates for people from the Russian Federation, Serbia and Kosovo are far lower, around 28% for Russia and 5% for Serbia and Kosovo. (IL)