The number of people requesting asylum in the Netherlands in the first six months of the year is almost twice the 2013 figure, junior justice minister Fred Teeven said on Friday.

In total, 6,220 people requested asylum in the first half of 2013, but the figure swelled to 12,280 in the same period this year.

Teeven says the increase is due to a surge in requests from Eritreans in April and May, plus an increase in the number of refugees from Syria, who now account for almost half the total.

Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan used to dominate the number of requests for refugee status

Extra accommodation has been set up in Zwolle and Hoogeveen to cope with the increase.