The European Union (EU) has been tracking asylum seekers for more than a decade, collecting data on a huge array of factors, from their arrival and their journeys.
The latest data shows the trend towards asylum seekers living in Europe is growing, with the number of new arrivals more than doubling between 2017 and 2020.
The EU statistics agency, Eurostat, also released data from the European Economic Area (EEA) showing that, since the start of 2017, the EU has received more than one million asylum applications.
The European Commission has also released figures showing that more than 3.5 million migrants and refugees have been registered in the EEA since it opened in 2004.
The refugee crisis has also prompted a series of laws, including new rules to reduce the number and scope of deportations.
What does this data tell us about the EU?
This data shows that since the beginning of the year, more than 400,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in the EU, making it the second most populous continent after the United States.
In the past two years, almost a million people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe.
The majority of migrants arrive in Italy and Greece, where they are processed, before being returned to Turkey.
The largest number of asylum seekers are fleeing conflict and poverty in Central African Republic, where some 1.1 million people live in dire conditions.
The EEA has also seen a rise in arrivals from North and East Africa, which is currently at nearly 200,000.
The data also shows that, despite the EU welcoming nearly half of the asylum applications received, its asylum system is not working as it should.
According to Eurostat: “While it is possible to have a positive asylum system, the situation is not as it could be.
A significant proportion of the refugees are not recognised by the authorities.
The asylum procedure is complex and the system cannot be easily transferred.
In particular, there is a lack of capacity in the processing of asylum applications, which results in delays in the process and the return of the persons to their countries of origin.”
The refugee statistics show that the numbers of asylum applicants in Europe are growing at a rate of about 5 per cent a year, and are set to continue to increase.
More: What the EU data shows about the asylum seekers’ situation The data does not reveal the number or type of asylum claims received by the EU.
The figures only show the number that have been processed and returned.
So what is the EU doing to tackle the refugee problem?
The European Council has set a target of accepting 1 million refugees from outside the European Union by 2021, a target that has not been met.
The commission says it will take the necessary measures to ensure the quota is met.
EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has called for a moratorium on new arrivals, arguing that the European asylum system was not working properly and had failed to deal with the influx of refugees.
“The Commission has been working on a new approach to dealing with the problem of refugees,” Avramoli said.
“But this is not the answer.
We must focus on the problems of refugees and their countries.”
The EU has been criticised by the US for its treatment of refugees, with President Donald Trump saying he is “totally open” to taking in more refugees.
The US is also considering imposing sanctions on countries such as Hungary and Croatia that are failing to process asylum claims.
But Avramolis said: “The refugee crisis is a global problem and the EU is a bridge that connects countries all over the world.
We are not at war with the EU but at war against refugees.
We have a common goal to help the world, which includes refugees, to have their dignity back.”
How many people are currently living in the European countries?
Around half of EU members are in the 27 member states, while a further two countries, Iceland and Switzerland, are outside the EU and have asylum seekers in their countries.
A further six countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France and Malta, are in transition between the member states and have not yet decided to take in refugees.
According the UN, there are more than 4.5m asylum seekers currently living abroad, many of them in countries such the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Syria.
What is the European Commission doing to address the refugee situation?
The commission has been trying to reform the asylum system.
It has created a new commission to deal directly with asylum seekers, including refugees, which has recently been led by Avramolos Avramos.
He said: As the EU approaches a year-end deadline for processing asylum applications it is essential that we ensure a level playing field and a fair outcome for all who seek asylum.
It is in our interests that the asylum seeker processing process is as quick and efficient as possible, and that no person is denied the right to asylum in the first place.
“Asylum seekers must be able to live and work in peace in
