3.13.1.1. Breakdown by citizenship
Several citizenshipsxxxvreceived record high recognition rates in 2023. Table 2 provides the countries of origin with the highest recognition rates at first instance.
Table 2. Highest recognition rates by citizenship of applicants, 2023
| Country of origin | Recognition rate (in %) |
|---|---|
| Syria | 94 |
| Ukraine* | 92 (+6% than in 2022) |
| Palestine* | 87 (+22% than in 2022) |
| Yemen | 84 |
| Eritrea | 83 |
| Belarus | 81 (-8% than in 2022) |
Among the nationalities with a recognition rate above 50%, many jumped to unprecedented levels. For example, that was the case for nationals of Sudan (67%, +19% from 2022), Burkina Faso (67%, +11%) and Nicaragua (53%, +28%). Other citizenships with rates over 50% showed marginal increases, which still led to record-high levels, particularly Malians (72%, +2%) Somalis (63%, +4%) and Chinese (63%, +2%).
In contrast, recognition rates were below 5% for one-fifth of the citizenships which were issued the most decisions in 2023 and below 10% for one-third of them. As in the past, this group with low recognition rates comprised applicants from visa-exempt countries in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela), the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,xxxviSerbia and North Macedonia), the EU Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Georgia and Moldova), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt and Morocco) and countries belonging to the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India and Nepal). The lowest recognition rates were for nationals of North Macedonia (0%), India, Moldova, Nepal and Serbia (1% each).
Despite low recognition rates, applicants from South American countries often received a national form of protection. This was the case for 92% of all decisions for Venezuelans, 75% for Colombians, 69% for Peruvians and 49% for Brazilians.