Two hundred asylum seekers were registered in Macedonia this year, 92 of whom from Afghanistan.

"Asylum seekers increased after the Africa events over the past year. However, it is definitely clear that the Republic of Macedonia is not their final destination, but a transit country. EU member-states are primarily the destinations of these people", said Minister of Labor and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski during Friday's visit to the shelter for asylum seekers near Skopje.

According to him, Macedonia is committed to take care of these people until their status is cleared up.

A total of 1,330 asylum seekers have been accommodated in the shelter since its opening in 2002.

Besides Afghan nationals, this year's asylum seekers include people from Somalia, Palestine, Eritrea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Comoro Islands, Kosovo, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco.