The number of people seeking asylum in Germany increased sharply in 2009.

More than 27,700 asylum applications were registered by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The number represents a 25 percent increase compared to 2008, the Interior Ministry reported on Thursday. This was the second year in a row that applications for asylum rose.

Fleeing war

There was an especially large increase in the number of asylum seekers from war-torn Afghanistan. In 2009, about 3,375 Afghans applied for asylum - more than double the number who applied in 2008. Other countries with a high number of refugees leaving for Germany included Iran, India and Nigeria.

Of nearly 27,700 people seeking asylum here, about a third were recognised as refugees under the Geneva Convention. Most of them came from Iraq (6,538), followed by Afghanistan (3,375) and Turkey (1,408).

Overall decline

Despite 2009's increase in the number of asylum seekers, the number of applicants is still quite small compared to the previous decade. Ten years ago, about 100,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, and in 1992 the figure was around 440,000.

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Editor: Susan Houlton