Nearly 75,000 asylum applications were filed across the European countries in April, taking the total number of applications to a record-breaking 687,000 pending applications, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has revealed.
A recent analysis by the EUAA noted that since May 2022, the demand for asylum applications had been fueled by conflict, political and social situations, economic hardships and food insecurity, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Germany was the leading recipient country of applications for asylum, especially those filed by Syrian and Afghan refugees, as 60 per cent of Syrians and half of Afghans filed for international protection in Germany.
While in April, the number of applications filed by Syrians reached 8,800, and Afghans submitted about 7,000 – 36 per cent more than in 2022. Turks follow third, with 4,700 applications filed – up by nearly two-thirds compared to April of last year, while more than half of all applications were lodged in Germany.
Syrians lodged the highest number of applications for international protection in October 2022 (18,219), while in May 2021, fewer applications were filed (6,015). Repeated applicants weren’t common during this period among Syrian applicants.
On the other hand, repeated applications filed by Afghan nationals were higher than other nationalities, with the highest number of applications recorded in September 2021 (3,602).
As per first-time applications, like Syrians, Afghan nationals filed the most applications in October 2022 – a total of 14,694.
As EUAA explains, the caseload is increasingly becoming heavier, as it surpassed 2017 levels when EU countries were still processing cases submitted during the so-called migration crisis of 2015-2016.
Syrians and Afghans, again, had the most cases pending, 85,000 and 71,000, respectively, while the caseload for these nationals increased by 26 per cent for Syrians and similar to 2022 levels for Afghanis.
Pending cases have also soared in 2023 for Columbians and Peruvians, mainly lodged in Spain, while Turks and Iranians lodged more applications in Germany and Egyptians in Italy.
“In the case of the Latin American nationalities, this is unrelated to irregular migration; but is due, in large part, to a persistent pattern of asylum applications being lodged by Venezuelans and Colombians, and to a lesser extent Peruvians, all of whom can enter the Schengen area without a visa,” EUAA explains.
On the other hand, recognition rates were considerably higher in April, reaching 42 per cent based on decisions granting either refugee status or protection, marking the highest level of recognition since June 2022.
The recognition rates range between nationalities but remain stable over time. In April 2023, Iranians continued to have a recognition rate of 48 per cent, while Bangladeshis were at four per cent and Pakistanis at ten per cent.
Pending Applications at EU+ Countries Reach Record-Breaking Load of 690,000 Cases - SchengenVisaInfo.com - SchengenVisaInfo.com
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