In 2017, a total of 538,120 refugees received asylum across the European Union, with the vast majority gaining protection in Germany, according to Eurostat.

The distribution of refugees varied considerably throughout the region, reflecting ongoing disputes over borders and international obligations under the United Nations’ Refugee Convention.

The number of refugees granted asylum also declined by a third compared with the year before, according to Eurostat.

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Germany granted protection to 325,370 refugees, whereas France, the second leading resettler, welcomed 40,575, and Slovakia, at the other end of the spectrum, accepted a mere 60 refugees.

In terms of population density, Germany was still the leader, accepting 3,945 refugees per every million people in the country, followed by Austria, and Sweden.

France, meanwhile, accepted 600 refugees per every million people.

Read More: There Could Be 143 Million Climate Change Refugees by 2050

The majority of refugees came from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, according to Eurostat, with Syrians accounting for a third of all accepted applicants, down from accounting for 57% of accepted refugees in 2016.

Nine out of 10 Syrians were granted asylum, as the civil war engulfing the country enters its seventh year.

Recently, the Syrian government dropped chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb, killing dozens of citizens.

Read More: Millions of Children In Emergencies Are Denied an Education. But That Can Change.

Eritreans also had a 90% asylum rate in the European Union as sporadic conflict and extreme political repression rock the country.

Refugees from Kosovo and Albania were the least likely to gain asylum.

Since 2015, the European Union has been inundated with refugees seeking safety as the number of displaced persons around the world reaches the highest number in recorded history.

The European Union has shouldered an outsized proportion of the crisis because it’s easier to reach than other stable parts of the world for many refugees.

Simultaneously, a surge in migrants seeking opportunity throughout the region has added to the influx of newcomers, causing many leaders to close country borders, heavily police entry points, and resort to xenophobic rhetoric.

Read More: The US Has Admitted 11 Syrian Refugees in All of 2018

Throughout all of this, Germany has set the bar for helping out those in need.

Global Citizen campaigns on assisting refugees and you can take action on this issue here.

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Demand Equity

The EU Accepted More Than 500,000 Refugees in 2017

By Joe McCarthy