BRUSSELS - Applications for international protection in the European Union (EU) nearly halved from 1.3 million in 2016 to 728,470 in 2017, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said Monday in a statement.

Applications in early 2018 averaged less than 50,000 per month, it said.

Throughout 2017, migratory pressure at EU external borders remained high, but decreased for a second consecutive year, mostly on the eastern and central Mediterranean routes, whereas there was an unprecedented upsurge on the western Mediterranean route, EASO said.

While overall the number of asylum applications registered in 2017 dipped, some countries still noted considerable increases. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan remained the top three countries of origin of applicants.

There is still a backlog to process these applications, as the EASO said nearly a million applications were awaiting a final decision, despite a decrease of 16 percent over the end of 2016.

For the first four months of 2018, 197,000 individuals sought international protection in the EU, indicating a further drop from 2017.

Still, it was higher than before the migration crisis began in 2014.

EU leaders are scheduled to meet on June 28 in Brussels for a summit, where migration is expected to be high on agenda.

Top image: Migrants descend the Italian coast guard vessel Dattilo upon arrival at the eastern port of Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Jun. 17, 2018. The first Italian government ship accompanying the migrant aid vessel Aquarius with 630 people aboard on Sunday docked at the Spanish port ending a weeklong perilous crossing of the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)