Asylum influx in 2020
The situation around COVID-19 and the associated measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus had an impact on the number of asylum applications and their processing in the first six months of 2020.
From June onwards, the total influx of asylum seekers (i.e. the total of first and repeated asylum applications and family members joining asylum seekers) has been further increasing. In December, 1,899 people applied for asylum.
The total influx of asylum seekers in 2020 was 19,132. That is a decrease compared to the previous two years. By comparison, the total asylum influx in 2019 was 29,435, and in 2018 it was 30,380.
In 2020, asylum seekers came from the following top 5 countries: Syria (5,566), Eritrea (1,504), Turkey (1,265), Algeria (1,062) and Yemen (861).
First asylum applications
The total number of first asylum applications in December was 1,216.
The total number of first asylum applications in 2020 was 13,673. The top 5 countries of origin are Syria (4,022), Algeria (993), Turkey (989), Morocco (774) and Nigeria (633).
By comparison, the total number of first asylum applications in 2019 was 22,533 and the total number of first asylum applications in 2018 was 20,353.
Repeat asylum applications
The total number of repeat asylum applications in December was 136.
The number of repeat asylum applications in 2020 was 1,596. The top 5 countries of origin are Afghanistan and Iran (182), Iraq (175), Nigeria (96), Syria (83) and Marocco (73).
By comparison, the total number of repeat asylum applications in 2019 was 2,723 and the total number of repeat asylum applications in 2018 was 3,564.
Family members joining asylum seekers later
The number of family members joining asylum seekers later in December was 547.
The total of family members joining asylum seekers in 2020 was 3,863. Most of these family members came from Syria (1,461), Eritrea (1,070), Yemen (423), Turkey (255) or were stateless (132).
By comparison, the total number of family members joining asylum seekers later in 2019 was 4,179, and in 2018 the total number was 6,463.
AMV
The number of asylum applications submitted by unaccompanied asylum seeking minors (AMVs) in December was 165.
The total of asylum applications submitted by minors seeking asylum in 2020 was 986. The top 5 countries of origin of AMVs are Syria (446), Morocco (143), Eritrea (81), Algeria (61) and Afghanistan (46).
By comparison, the total number of asylum applications submitted by minors (AMVs) in 2019 was 1,046 and in 2018 it was 1,225.