Study Figure 12, which shows the number of asylum applications (in thousands) to the United Kingdom from various regions of origin between 2012 and 2022.
| Year | Middle East | Sub-Saharan Africa | South Asia | East Asia & Pacific | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 32 |
| 2013 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 34 |
| 2014 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 39 |
| 2015 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 49 |
| 2016 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 43 |
| 2017 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 37 |
| 2018 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 42 |
| 2019 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 50 |
| 2020 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 40 |
| 2021 | 28 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 57 |
| 2022 | 35 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 71 |
Using Figure 12, identify the region of origin that had the smallest number of asylum applications to the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2022.
Middle East
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia
East Asia & Pacific
