The recent increase in the number of applications filed by Ukrainians for international protection in European Union countries has placed the country among the top ten nationalities seeking asylum in the EU, for the first time in several years, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) reveals.

Based on figures provided by EASO, in February 2021, citizens of Ukraine filed more asylum applications in EU+ countries compared to January figures. These statistics show that the increase is sharp compared to other main nationalities who continue to lodge far fewer applications for the same purpose in EU countries, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

“The overall level was roughly stable compared to recent months, Ukrainians lodged many more applications (up by 72 per cent, to almost 1,000), the most in four years and substantially more than before the outbreak of COVID-19,” EASO’s report stressed.

Citizens of Ukraine filed 971 asylum applications in EU countries in February 2021, marking the highest increase since 2017 and substantially more compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

Compared to the first month of this year, the number of requests for international protection by Ukrainians in February 2021 marked a 72 per cent increase, “driven by” an increase in the number of first-time applications by about 80 per cent. The growth placed the country among the top-origin countries seeking asylum in EU countries.

February was the second month in a row that European Union countries issued fewer first instance decisions to citizens of Ukraine, 561 in total. The figures were still lower compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The recognition rate for Ukraine’s nationals was 14 per cent in February. The report clarifies that half of the positive decisions issued in the second month of this year granted refugee status.

“Over much of 2020, more first instance decisions were issued to Ukrainians than applications lodged,” EASO clarifies.

Such a situation led to a significant decline in Ukraine’s pending cases at first instance, from nearly 8,000 at the end of February 2020 to almost 6,300 at the end of February 2021. Cases that had been pending for over six months decreased by almost 2,100.

In February 2021, there were registered 880 first-time applications, compared to 535 applications filed for the first time in the same month in 2020.

During the second month of this year, there were recorded 91 repeated applications. A total of 483 applications were negative decisions.

In January 2021, a total of 493 Ukrainians made a first-time application for international protection in EU countries, compared to 440 applications filed in January 2020.

Asylum Applications in EU+ Countries Still Lower Than  Pre-Pandemic Levels

In February 2021, there were lodged a total of 38,300 applications for asylum in the European Union countries, based on the statistics published by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).

The same source reveals that irregular migration towards the Canary Islands has marked an increase during recent months.

Correspondingly, citizens of the following countries are increasingly applying for international protection in EU+ countries.

• Moroccans (+ 14 per cent),
• Malians
• Senegalese (+ 22 per cent in both cases)

In February 2021, the top origin countries were Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, as well as Iraq, and Nigeria.

The number of requests for asylum by citizens of Syria was above 10,000, while Syrians alone accounted for a quarter of all applications filed for international protection in European Union countries.

In the first month of this year, over 40,000 persons applied for asylum in EU countries. About 10,000 applications were repeated, making the highest number of repeated requests in several years.

In January 2021, citizens of Syria and Afghanistan applied the most for international protection in EU countries January 2021.

“In February 2021, total applications in the EU+ were less than two-thirds of the applications lodged one year earlier. As there is also no evidence of an upward trend towards pre-COVID-19 levels, the effect of the pandemic on asylum applications is not short-lived,” EASO’s statement reveals.

However, the number of applications by unaccompanied minors was comparable to the situation before the Coronavirus outbreak.

In February 2021, self-claimed unaccompanied minors filled more than 1,300 applications in EU countries, to 80 per cent of the number in February 2020.

EASO previously reported that a total of 31 per cent decline was recorded in the number of applications filed for international protection, compared to 2019 figures. According to the report, this was the most profound decline since 2013.

A total of 461,300 persons sought asylum in the EU countries last year, compared to 671,200 applications filed for the same purpose in 2019.

More Decisions Than Applications in February 2021

About 41 000 first instance decisions were issued by EU asylum authorities in February 2021, a slight increase compared to January figures.

About 405,600 cases were pending at first instance, “roughly stable” compared to January figures.

“The recognition rate in the EU+ was 32 per cent in February 2021, matching the EU+ recognition rate for 2020. In line with previous months, three out of five positive decisions in February granted refugee status, while the remainder granted subsidiary protection,” the statement reads.

According to EASO’s figures, about 521,000 first instance decisions were issued last year. The statistics revealed that the number of first instance decisions surpassed the number of applications for the first time since 2017.