EASO says 2014 saw more than 660,000 applications for international protection in the EU, the highest since data collection began
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has today published its annual report on asylum in the European Union (EU).
The 144-page report can be read here.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the number and nature of applications for international protection in all 28 EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland (the EU+). It examines asylum trends, including key challenges and responses during the year, major institutional and legal developments and provides an overview of the practical functioning of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
EASO notes the following key points from the report:
• In 2014 there were more than 660 000 applications for international protection in the EU+ - the highest number since the beginning of EU-level data collection in 2008.
• The highest numbers of asylum applicants recorded were citizens of Syria, the Western Balkan countries combined, and Eritrea. The main receiving countries were Germany, Sweden, Italy, France and Hungary.
• At the end of 2014, more than 500 0001 people were awaiting a decision on their asylum application in the EU+; the volume of pending applications increased by +37% compared to 2013.
• The ongoing crisis in Syria posed a key challenge in the EU+ in 2014 as the number of applications from Syrians reached more than 128 000. This triggered the establishment of special measures in terms of resettlement and humanitarian admission.
• Afghanistan remained one of the main countries of origin of applicants last year; the 42 745 applications for 2014 represented a 53 % increase compared to 2013. It also had the highest share of unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in the EU+ (6 155).
• The number of applications from citizens of Western Balkan countries reached 110 000 with a significant share from Serbia and Kosovo.
• There were more than 14 000 Ukrainian applicants, which was a 13-fold increase compared to 2013.
• 2014 marked the launch of the 7-year Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) with a budget of 3.137 billion EUR to support projects in Member States.
An EASO press release notes that the latest figures for 2015 show that the number of applications for international protection continues to rise. In the first 5 months of this year, there was a 68 % rise in the number of applications for international protection in the EU+ compared to the same period last year.