In the first nine months of 2022, Croatia received 7,258 applications for international protection lodged by migrants, which is three times more than in 2016, a year marked by the migrant influx, the Večernji List daily reported on Friday.

International protection applications include the requests for asylum and subsidiary protection.

So far this year, the highest number of the applications have been filed by Iraqis (1,554), Turks (1,150), Afghani citizens (1,123) and Burundian citizens (1,007), according to the data published by the daily newspaper.

For instance, in 2015, a mere 152 applications to this effect were lodged, while in 2016, there were 2,234 applications for international protection.

It is presumed that the decision of the EU to stop receiving irregular migrants and higher permeability of the borders along the Balkan route has resulted in a higher applications lodged in Croatia.