Italy asylum applications up 47% - EASO (2)

(ANSA) - Brussels, July 5 - Italy received almost 123,000 asylum applications in 2016, a 47% gain on 2015, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said in its annual report Wednesday. The 122,960 applications make up 9.5% of the European Union total. Most, 22%, of asylum seekers in Italy are Nigerian, EASO said. Germany topped the rankings again with 745,155 applications, a 58% rise on the previous year and accounting for 58% of all European asylum requests. EASO also said 2016 was a record year for migrant crossings on the central Mediterranean route, up 18% to 181,459 migrants. It was the main access route to Europe and Italy was the "main point of entry", EASO said.