PR 13/2015

8 July 2015

EASO Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the EU

Today EASO released its yearly reference report: The Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2014. The report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation of asylum in the EU+ (EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland) by examining requests for international protection to the EU, analysing application and decision data, and focusing on some of the most important countries of origin of applicants for international protection.

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 500 000[1] people were awaiting a decision on their asylum application in the EU+; the volume of pending applications increased by +37% compared to 2013. The number of applications from citizens of Western Balkan countries reached 110 000 with a significant share from Serbia and Kosovo. 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. 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). There were more than 14 000 Ukrainian applicants, which was a 13-fold increase compared to 2013.

The report also looks into key asylum related developments in 2014 such as the Task Force Mediterranean, reception capacity in the Member States, developments in national asylum systems and EASO support. Amongst other things, EASO continued to provide operational support to Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus and successfully piloted join-processing projects and a project with Malta and Italy on facilitation of irregular migrants. EASO has trained over 2,800 asylum and reception officials. Moreover, EASO held external dimension activities with a number of states including Turkey, Serbia, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Furthermore, EASO launched new statistical data collection under its Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS), which sees contribution from all EU+ states on a monthly basis, adding to information available from Eurostat.

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. This follows the 43 % increase in the number of applications in 2014 compared to 2013. In 2015 new trends seem to be emerging. The number of Kosovar applicants was very high until March 2015. Kosovo was the main country of origin of applicants registered in the EU+ between January and May 2015, ahead of Syria. This is despite the fact that the volume of Syrian applicants was higher than the level recorded over the same period in 2014. There has also been a substantial increase in the numbers of Afghan applicants in recent months. Since January 2015, a significant rise in the number of applicants claiming to be unaccompanied minors has also been noted in the EU+. They primarily originated from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Somalia and were mainly received by Sweden, Austria, Germany, and Italy.

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office by contacting Mr Jean-Pierre Schembri on the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For the Annual Report please click here.

For the Main Findings of the Annual Report please click here.

For the video please click here.

PR 07/2015

19 May 2015

EASO publishes description of the Hungarian asylum system

In view of the high influx of asylum seekers to Hungary (which began in the last quarter of 2014), EASO conducted a mapping exercise of the Hungarian asylum system. Different expert teams, comprised of Member State experts and EASO staff, examined the institutional and legal framework as well as the operational procedures in place in Hungary in order to provide a descriptive overview of the practical functioning of asylum and reception. EASO will now work with the Hungarian authorities on a needs assessment of the Hungarian asylum system and stands ready to further support Hungary in the near future.

Upon request of the Hungarian Office of Immigration and Nationality (OIN), EASO conducted (from 16-20 March 2015) a mission to Hungary with the aim of mapping the Hungarian asylum system.The mission took place in the context of a very high influx of applicants for international protection in Hungary in the last months of 2014. Data provided by Hungary to EASO, in the framework of data collection under the Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS), indicated a surge in asylum applicants mainly from Kosovo (though higher numbers of Syrian and Afghan applicants were also noted).  The vast majority of these persons irregularly crossed the land border with Serbia, applied for asylum and then implicitly withdrew their applications and travelled on to other EU Member States where they once again applied for international protection.  Numbers registered in 2014 (more than 42,000 applicants) amounted to more than twice the previous highest numberof asylum applicants ever registered in Hungary[1] (since EU-level data collection on international migration statistics started in 2008). While numbers of Kosovar applicants have dropped off to normal levels since late February 2015, numbers of Syrian and Afghan applicants continue to rise.

The aim of the mapping mission, which was conducted by EASO and Member States experts (from Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden), was to draft a description of the institutional and practical functioning of the Hungarian asylum and reception system, covering: access to procedure, procedures at first instance, reception, and detention on the basis of which a needs assessment could be conducted. Certain selected aspects of return of former applicants for international protection were also included.

EASO and Member State experts were divided into teams focusing on: asylum determination, registration and reception. The teams visited all regional directorates of OIN and offices of other national bodies with a major role in the system. Experts also met with representatives of UNHCR in Hungary, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and other NGOs). The teams did not look into individual cases of applicants for international protection.  This mapping report thus does not constitute an assessment of the Hungarian national asylum and reception system by EASO but should be considered as a detailed description of its functioning. 

Quick Links: https://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/Description-of-the-Hungarian-asylum-system-18-May-final.pdf

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office by contacting Mr Jean-Pierre Schembri on the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.