In 2015 1,255,600 first time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the Member States of the European Union (EU), a number more than double that of 2014 (626,065).
The top 5 citizenships of asylum seekers in EU-28 in 2015 were:
- Syria: 362,800 (29% of overall applicants)
- Afghanistan: 178,200 (14%)
- Iraqi: 121,500 (10%)
- Kosovo[1]: 66,885 (5%)
- Albania: 65,935 (5%)
The largest numbers of asylum seekers were recorded in:
- Germany: 441,800 (35% of overall applicants)
- Hungary: 174,400 (14%)
- Sweden: 156,100 (12%)
- Austria: 85,500 (7%)
- Italy: 83,200, (7%) and
- France: 70,600 (6%).
Key figures for Ireland:
Ireland received 3,275 asylum applications in 2015 compared to 1,450 in 2014.
The main countries of citizenship of applicants in 2015 were:
- Pakistan: 1,350 (41% of overall applicants)
- Bangladesh: 285 (9%)
- Albania: 215 (7%)
For more information:
See Eurostat news release (March 2016) and Eurostat Asylum quarterly report ( fourth quarter 2015).
[1] Kosovo under UN Secretary Council Resolution 1244/99