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2.1. Applications for international protection in the EU+

2.1.1 Applications: EU+ overview

In 2018, there were 664 480 applications for international protection in EU+ countries which amounts to a single application for every 792 inhabitants.By the end of 2018, the number of applications decreased for the third successive year, but in this case only by 10%. Between 2017 and 2016, the decrease was much more significant at 43 %. This total of applications lodged in the EU+ in 2018 was very similar to the situation back in 2014, when 662 165 applications were lodged. Read more... 
 

2.1.2 Applications for international protection per citizenship of origin

Syrians continued to lodge the most applications for asylum, continuing a trend observed uninterruptedly since 2013. In 2018, some 13 % of all applicants originated from Syria – down from 15 % in 2017 (Fig. 3). Afghanistan was the second main country of origin and Iraq the third, each representing 7 % of all applications in the EU+. These three most common citizenships of origin remained the same as in 2017, but Afghanistan and Iraq switched places in the ranking.  In 2018, more than one quarter of all applicants (27 %) in the EU+ originated from these three countries. Read more... 
 

2.1.3 Applications for international protection per EU+ country

In 2018, most applications for asylum were lodged in Germany, France, Greece, Italy and Spain. In 2017, Italy received the second highest number of applications, but in 2018 applications in Italy fell below the level of France and Greece. Together, these five countries accounted for almost three quarters of all applications lodged in the EU+. Read more...

2.1.4 Main asylum flows combining citizenships and receiving countries

The main asylum flows, more specifically dyads of citizenships in receiving countries, provide a slightly more nuanced picture than separate considerations of countries of origin and receiving countries. The main influxes in 2018 were directed to Germany, France, Greece and Spain. Italy was not at the receiving end of any of the main flows despite being the fourth receiving country overall; this likely follows the decrease in specific citizenships applying in Italy and therefore also the diversification. Read more...
 

 

 

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102 At the date of extraction, 13 May 2019, data from all EU+ countries were available. (in title)