Asylum seeking applications in Europe down by 44% compared to 2016. Approximately 15% of asylum seekers come from Syria – EASO
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The total number of asylum applications throughout all of the EU, plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, last year, was 728,470, or some 44 percent less when compared to 2016, a report published on Monday, by the Malta-based European Asylum Support Agency (EASO) says.
In terms of statistical trends, although these figures represent a decrease of 44 % compared to 2016, remain at a higher level than prior to the refugee crisis, which started in 2015.
Germany last year registered almost twice as many asylum applications as any other EU state, followed by Italy and France. EASO’s report state some 222,560 applications were lodged in Germany in 2017, followed by Italy at 128,850 and France with just over 100,000. To put things in perspective, the German figure represents a 70 percent decrease when compared to 2016 after some one million had entered the country.
The ‘Dublin regulation’, which is currently under stalled reforms, allows EU states to return people to the state where they first entered or have applications pending. Authorities, under normal circumstances, would have up to four weeks to verify their claims, which includes checking their fingerprints in a database known as Eurodac and then looking to see if they have any family connections. Unaccompanied minors have the right to enter.
Where are asylum seekers coming from?
Migratory pressure at the EU external borders remained high, but decreased for second consecutive year, mostly at the eastern and central Mediterranean routes, whereas there was an unprecedented upsurge on the western Mediterranean route. Syria (since 2013), Iraq, and Afghanistan were the three main countries of origin of applicants in the EU+.
Approximately 15 % of all applicants originated from Syria, with Iraq ranking second and Afghanistan third, each representing 7 % of all applications in the EU+.
These three countries were followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, Eritrea, Albania, Bangladesh, Guinea and Iran. In Syria’s neighbouring countries, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt and other northern African countries, UNHCR indicated that the number of registered Syrian refugees by the end of 2017 amounted to approximately 5.5 million.
In 2017, similar to 2016, just over two thirds of all applicants were male and a third were female. Half of the applicants were in the age category between 18 and 35 years old, and almost a third were minors.
