Asylum applications in the EU have increased: Austria ranks second per capita

In June, there was an increase of about 25 percent in the European Union. Austria faced the highest number of unaccompanied minors in 2022, and in June, Austria ranked second in this statistic.

In June, 83,385 people applied for asylum for the first time in one of the 27 EU countries – a quarter more than the previous year (June 2022), but fewer than last fall, the European statistics agency Eurostat announced on Friday. The second largest number of initial applications per capita was recorded in Austria, after Cyprus. Austria also ranked second in the European Union regarding unaccompanied minors and was in the lead in 2022.

In addition to the initial applications, there were 5,795 people who submitted a new application. This is nine percent more than in the same month last year.

Most orders are made in Germany

Similar to previous months, most initial asylum applications in June 2023 were made in Germany (23,190), Spain (16,075), France (12,475) and Italy (10,730), representing 75 percent of all initial applications in the EU. The total number of first-time asylum seekers in the European Union was 0.186 per thousand inhabitants. Compared to the population of the respective EU countries, the highest rate of applicants registering for the first time in June 2023 was recorded in Cyprus (0.799 applicants per thousand inhabitants), and the second highest in Austria (0.519). On the other hand, the lowest rate was recorded in Hungary (0.0004).

As in previous months, Syrians formed the largest group of asylum seekers in June 2023 (13,150 first-time applicants). They were followed by Afghans (7,775), Venezuelans (6,925), and Colombians (6,165).

Many minor migrants from Syria and Afghanistan

The number of new applications from unaccompanied minors fell by three percent to 2,975 in the period from May to June 2023. The vast majority of them came from Syria and Afghanistan. Most of them were accepted in Germany (about 800 minors), followed by Austria (just under 600), the Netherlands (just over 400), Bulgaria (about 400), and Spain (just over 200). In 2022, according to Eurostat, Austria received about a third of the EU’s unaccompanied minors – 13,275 out of a total of 39,520 – putting it at the top of the EU, ahead of Germany and the Netherlands. (Abba)