![easo-logo]()
The EASO released its Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2012. The Report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation of asylum in the EU, by looking at flows of applicants 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 2012. In particular, the report focuses on three asylum flows that underline the very different characteristics of asylum applicants in the EU: Afghanistan, Syria and Western Balkans countries.
With regards to burden sharing, 11 out of the 27 EU countries have pledged some form of burden sharing and, out of these, five have reneged on their word: Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Poland has taken six migrants out of a promised 50 while Ireland has taken 20 when it promised to take 10.
The Maltese Office of the Refugee Commissioner received a total of 2 114 applications for international protection in 2012, such that 2012 ranks the second highest year since 2001 in the number of irregular arrivals on the island and the number of applications for international protection received by the Office of the Refugee Commissioner.
![EASO]()
In 2012 there were 335,365 asylum applications in the EU. This means that asylum applications in the EU increased by 11% (when compared to 2011). Of these, 260 575 were ‘new’ applicants for international protection (a 1 % increase compared to 256 945 in 2011), which means that a significant proportion of the increase was determined by an increase in subsequent applications (i.e. those made by persons already having made an application for international protection in the EU)
Applicants from Afghanistan continued to be the most numerous overall in the EU (28,005) and included large numbers of unaccompanied minors. In 2012 EASO produced two expert reports on Afghanistan.
Syria showed the largest increase in applications (206% compared to 2011). This was due to the deteriorating security situation in Syria over the course of the year. In this context, EASO organized a network of experts with the EU Member States, to pool expertise and to be prepared for such an influx. In 2012, there were over 95% of applications from Syrian citizens being accepted by EU Member States.
The report underlines, however, that when summed together, applicants from the six Western Balkans countries, continued to represent the highest number of applications made in the EU for asylum (more than Afghanistan and Syria combined), despite the fact that Member States judged such applications to well-founded in only 4% of cases overall. EASO will publish a comprehensive report on the Western Balkans in the second half of this year.
The report also highlights major developments with regard to EU/national policy, legislative changes and jurisprudence (the acquis and their interpretation) and provides insight into the practical functioning of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) by observing developments relating to the different stages of the asylum procedure (from access to procedure to return). In this context, asylum reception and detention conditions and policy in Member States continued to be a challenging area.
In 2012, Member States experienced large variations in asylum flows to their country (when compared to the previous year): Nine Member States faced variations of greater than 45% (plus or minus) compared to the previous year in 2012. Such large variations make long-term planning difficult.
Nevertheless, many Member States, made improvements to their asylum systems, instituting quality control systems, improved IT case management tools and better use of Country of Origin Information (COI) in decision-making.
[23video id="8406727" token="20c249e2dd10bbe1491e85aac5484d62" width="665" height="374"]
In 2012 there were 335,365 asylum applications in the EU. This means that asylum applications in the EU increased by 11% (when compared to 2011). Of these, 260 575 were ‘new’ applicants for international protection (a 1 % increase compared to 256 945 in 2011), which means that a significant proportion of the increase was determined by an increase in subsequent applications (i.e. those made by persons already having made an application for international protection in the EU)
Applicants from Afghanistan continued to be the most numerous overall in the EU (28,005) and included large numbers of unaccompanied minors. In 2012 EASO produced two expert reports on Afghanistan.
Syria showed the largest increase in applications (206% compared to 2011). This was due to the deteriorating security situation in Syria over the course of the year. In this context, EASO organized a network of experts with the EU Member States, to pool expertise and to be prepared for such an influx. In 2012, there were over 95% of applications from Syrian citizens being accepted by EU Member States.
The report underlines, however, that when summed together, applicants from the six Western Balkans countries, continued to represent the highest number of applications made in the EU for asylum (more than Afghanistan and Syria combined), despite the fact that Member States judged such applications to well-founded in only 4% of cases overall. EASO will publish a comprehensive report on the Western Balkans in the second half of this year.
The report also highlights major developments with regard to EU/national policy, legislative changes and jurisprudence (the acquis and their interpretation) and provides insight into the practical functioning of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) by observing developments relating to the different stages of the asylum procedure (from access to procedure to return). In this context, asylum reception and detention conditions and policy in Member States continued to be a challenging area.
In 2012, Member States experienced large variations in asylum flows to their country (when compared to the previous year): Nine Member States faced variations of greater than 45% (plus or minus) compared to the previous year in 2012. Such large variations make long-term planning difficult.
Nevertheless, many Member States, made improvements to their asylum systems, instituting quality control systems, improved IT case management tools and better use of Country of Origin Information (COI) in decision-making.
[23video id="8406727" token="20c249e2dd10bbe1491e85aac5484d62" width="665" height="374"]