Asylum requests soar

According to figures out this morning, asylum seeker applications have soared by 64 percent in the space of just one year.

The SEF immigration office explained that the total number of asylum seekers rose to just under 1,500 in 2016.

The largest share came from Syria, with over 400 applicants, followed by Eritrea and Iraq.

The majority of asylum seekers made their applications after arriving in Portugal, with two-thirds being men.