Asylum seekers in countries of the European Union and EFTA, 2005-2015

Open Data Albania is exploring on the number of asylum seekers in the European Union and EFTA countries over the years 2005-2015. The data are based on statistics published by the European Institute of Statistics.

The number of asylum seekers in EU countries has been continuously increased and decreased until 2010, but the number of applications is not higher than 300 thousand. After 2010, the number of asylum seekers was continuously increased and in 2015 the number of asylum seekers exceeded 1 million.

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania}   

The highest number of asylum seekers came from Syria in 2015 with about 363 thousand asylum seekers. Afghanistan ranks the second after Syria by about 178 thousand asylum seekers and Iraq by about 121 thousand asylum seekers. Interesting is the fact that in the list of asylum seeking countries, Kosovo and Albania are ranked at the fourth and fifth place.

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania} 

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania}

First time applicants for asylum in EU countries by country of origin, 2014-2015

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania}

In 2015, Germany was the country that received the highest number of asylum seekers, approximately 441 thousand, or 33% of the total applications in the EU and EFTA countries. Hungary, which has received approximately 174 thousand or 13% of the total asylum seekers comes next in the list followed from Sweden, which has received about 156 thousand applications for asylum or 12% of the total. In other countries of the European Union and EFTA, the number of asylum seekers is lower than 100 thousand.

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania}

Germany is the country that has hosted the largest number of asylum seekers in 2015.  Syria has the largest number of asylum seekers in Germany with about 160 thousand applications. Albania is ranked in the second place as far as the number of applications for asylum in Germany is concerned with about 54 thousand of asylum seekers. Then comes Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

In Hungary and Sweden, the highest number of asylum seekers come from Syria and Afghanistan. Hungary has also received a high number of applications for asylum submitted from citizens of Kosovo as well, a number that amounts to about 33 thousand applications.

Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

In 2015, about 66 thousand Albanians have sought asylum in the EU and EFTA countries, something that ranked Albania in the fifth place for the highest number of asylum seekers. About 82% of Albanians have sought asylum in the German state, while the rest are distributed in small percentages among other states.

^{Source: Eurostat   
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania}