Migrants arriving in the EU (Image: Getty )

       The British-style “Rwanda model” is being touted by some EU countries as a way to process more than a million migrants predicted to head to the bloc this year.

       The idea of processing asylum applications in non-European countries is becoming increasingly attractive to several member states.

       It comes as new statistics from the European Union Agency for Asylum, which includes Norway and Switzerland, show nearly 520,000 applications already this year with levels projected to hit those seen in 2015 and 2016 when numbers hit 1.3million.

       The Times reports the agency said: "Historically, the volume of applications tends to be higher in the second half of the year, if this pattern holds, by the end of the year more than one million asylum applications will be received in 2023.

       "At the end of June 2023 some 682,000 cases were awaiting a firstinstance decision, which is up by 34 per cent compared to a year ago.”

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       The UK previously signed a deal with Rwanda to host migrants (Image: Getty )

       Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Latvia, Malta and Estonia have all made written representations to the European Commission saying that "the asylum system is broken".

       And Austria has become the first nation to demand the British model of sending asylum seekers abroad to be considered. The policy has so far been blocked legally and on human rights grounds.

       Karl Nehammer, the chancellor, told Die Welt newspaper: "Austria will continue to do its utmost in the EU to create the political and legal conditions for asylum procedures to be carried out already, outside the EU. We will not give in.

       “Corresponding agreements with third countries are possible, as the example of Rwanda shows."

       Denmark has opted-out of the EU refugee policy but has so far not acted upon plans for a Rwanda-style initiative.

       The EU has also paid nations on its borders to limit the number of migrants able to make the journey, with more an ￡1billion in economic aid offered to President Saied of Tunisia to stop a flow across the Mediterranean to Italy.

       The EUAA said the projected total for the end of this year is in addition to the estimated four million people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

       Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer is in favour of the UK model (Image: Getty )

       Syrians, Afghans, Venezuelans, Turks and Colombians made up 44 percent of the applications in the first half of 2023.

       Germany received the biggest number of applications at 30 percent. Spain had 17 percent, while France had the third highest at 16 percent.

       Meanwhile, there were 682,000 cases awaiting a first instance decision at the end of June 2023, up 34 percent from last year. Based on initial decisions, some 41 percent of applicants receive refugee status or another kind of protection.

       It comes as the bloc remains split on the issue of migration with internal rows raging. Last month it emerged Brussels had reportedly rejected a post-Brexit migrant returns deal with Britain.

       Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants an agreement to deter people from making the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats.

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