EU rejects 204,800 asylum seekers in 2008, Iraqis top the list for asylum
The European Union statistics office Eurostat says the bloc’s 27 countries rejected some 204,800 applications from people seeking asylum last year. In 2008, just 76,320 people, or 27 percent of asylum-seekers, were granted protection in Europe.
Of the successful applications, France took in the highest number, 11,470, followed by Germany, Britain, Italy and Sweden.
Iraqis were Europe’s biggest asylum recipients, with 16,640 successful applications, forming 22% of the total, the EU’s statistical office Eurostat says. After Iraqis, the largest groups to get EU asylum were from Somalia (12%), Russia (10%) and Afghanistan (7%).
Most of the Iraqis settled in Germany and Sweden, while Italy took in the largest number of Somalis.
Greece took in the smallest number – less than 1% of the total.
Refugees Daily 9 December 2009 (in English)
Refugees Daily 9 December 2009 (in English)
Swedish EU-Presidency 2009
This website is no longer updated. It was a UNHCR Stockholm initiative meant to facilitate the monitoring of refugee and asylum issues during Sweden's European Union Presidency 1 July – 31 December 2009.
