There was also a big rise in the number of Palestinians seeking asylum here.

There were a total of 1,797 asylum requests during September.

This is an increase of 21 percent compared to September 2013.

It is also the 4th monthly increase in a row.

There were 13.7 percent more asylum requests in September than there were in August.

The General Refugee Commission’s Dirk Van den Bulck told journalists that the increase is due in part to the escalation in violence in certain conflict zones.

"This has certainly played a role. However, we have also seen an increase in the number of Palestinian refugees from Syria that are fleeing further afield to Europe.”

The number of asylum application also increased in other EU member states.

Flandersnews.be / Expatica