BERLIN: The number of people seeking asylum in Germany rose by around 64 per cent in 2013 to a 14-year high of 127,023, the interior ministry said on Friday.

The main countries of origin were Serbia, Russia, Syria, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iran, Pakistan and Iraq.

“Compared with other EU member states, Germany had by far the highest number of asylum-seekers in 2013,” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said. He added that only around 14percent of applications were approved.—Reuters