December 5, 2021
1 min read

Afghans overtake Syrians to become biggest asylum seekers in EU

Total applications in the EU exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19…reports Asian Lite News

Afghans lodged more than 17,000 asylum applications in the EU in September, up from 10,000 in August and nearly twice as many as Syrians. This made Afghanistan by far the main country of origin, which Syria had been for seven years until July, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said.

Afghans overtake Syrians to become biggest asylum seekers in EU

Total applications in the EU exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19.

EASO said about 71,200 applications for international protection were lodged in the EU in September 2021, up by a quarter from August and the most since November 2016.

For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, applications exceeded the last pre-pandemic levels in early 2020.

The rising trend in Afghan applications not only continued, but accelerated.

Applications by Afghans increased by a considerable 72 per cent, from about 10,000 in August to 17,300 in September. This increase partly reflected the evacuations that followed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August.

Afghans were by far the largest group of applicants in the EU in September, with almost twice as many applications as by Syrians (9,100), who had been the largest group every month for seven years up to July 2021. While Afghans lodged the most applications since September 2016, their number was still less than half of the all-time high in November 2015.

ALSO READ: Taliban bring back dark ages in Afghanistan

Turkish nationals (3,000) were the third largest group of applicants in September, continuing to apply at the highest level on record.

Several other main nationalities recorded substantially more applications in September: Bangladeshis (2,800, a new high), Pakistanis (2,700), Albanians (2,100), Venezuelans (1,800), and Georgians and Tunisians (1,700 each).

Previous Story

Portrait of an introvert as an actor

Next Story

Taliban accused of killing Afghan over FB post

Latest from Afghanistan

Moscow Steps Up Afghan Diplomacy

Russia sees a potential economic partner in the Taliban authorities, who praised Moscow for scrapping the “terrorism” label last week…reports Asian Lite News Russia has announced that it will elevate the Afghan

India Donates Vaccines to Afghanistan

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health expressed gratitude towards India for its generous contribution….reports Asian Lite News India has donated 4.8 tonnes of vaccines to Afghanistan as part of its ongoing humanitarian

Selective Deportation? Keamari Camp Speaks Out

Keamari camp, set up to accommodate Afghan families, houses hundreds of families who await being registered and transported to the Pak-Afghan Torkham border and deported to Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News Afghan families
Go toTop

Don't Miss

India sends seventh flight with relief material for Turkey, Syria

The Flight is carrying 35 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, relief

UN calls on Taliban to remove curbs on women and girls

Amiri warned that women’s rights will be endangered everywhere else