In 2016, nearly 710,400 asylum seekers were granted international protection in the 28 Member States of the European Union (EU-28), more than double that of 2015:
- 389,670 (55%) were given refugee status,
- 263,755 (37%) were granted subsidiary protection, and
- 56,970 (8%) were authorised to stay for humanitarian reasons.
In EU-28, 14,205 refugees were resettled in 2016.
The top 3 citizenships of granted protection were:
- Syria: 405,620 (57% of overall applicants)
- Iraq: 65,765 (9%)
- Afghanistan: 61,820 (9%)
The highest number of persons granted protection status were registered in:
- Germany: 445,210 (triple the number granted in 2015)
- Sweden: 69,350 (double the number granted in 2015)
- Italy: 35,450, (20% more than 2015)
- France: 35,170 (35% more than 2015) and
- The Netherlands: 21,825 (28% more than 2015)
Key figures for Ireland:
In Ireland 790 positive decisions on asylum applications were made in 2016:
- 645 were granted refugee status
- 140 were granted subsidiary protection status
In 2016, 355 persons were received as resettled refugees in Ireland.
The main countries of citizenship of applicants granted protection were:
- Syria: 150 (or 19% of the total number of persons granted protection in Ireland)
- Afghanistan: 70 (or 9%)
- Zimbabwe: 65 or (8%)
For more information:
See Eurostat news release (April 2017)
