A 17-year old high school student from Turkey has applied for asylum in Germany after making a run for it while on a student group trip in Italy, according to Turkish media reports.

The German authorities transferred the student, who hails from Izmir Province, to a refugee camp.

Referred to as I.E. by German officials, he was a third-year student at Necat Hepkon Anadolu High School in Seferihisar town on Turkey’s Aegean coast. Supposed to graduate next year, I.E. had high grades.

I.E. was with a group of students and teachers from his school on a European Union Erasmus project trip to Italy when he fled.

The student asked his teacher if he could go to the toilet. When it became apparent that he had been missing for a long time, his room was checked. A missing person notification was filed with the local police.

“Do not search for me. I won’t return,” I.E. wrote in a message to his teacher, soon after his family was informed of his disappearance.

Satirical news outlet Zaytung reports the story on Twitter.

“European countries recently applied visa restrictions due to heightened asylum demands from Turkey. [The asylum application by I.E.] was an unheard-of, astounding event in these matters because citizens who apply for business and tourism visas are rejected,” Ege’de SonSoz, an Izmir media title, noted.

In 2022, Turks ranked fourth for asylum applications submitted to EU countries.

Citizenship of first-time asylum applicants in EU
(person)	2021	2022
TOTAL	537,355	881,220
Syrian	98,900	131,970
Afghanistani	84,555	113,495
Venezuelan	17,375	50,050
Turkish	20,315	49,720

Table: First-time asylum applicants in EU by citizenship.