The European Union saw 50 percent fewer new asylum requests this year compared to last year, according to the latest Eurostat figures published Saturday.

Watch video 02:50 Share Refugee family reunification Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2pwn1 Refugees' long wait to reunite with their families

A total of 479,650 first-time asylum applications were filed across the bloc between January and September in 2017, while 2016 saw 1.2 million people apply for asylum, the Funke Media Group reported, citing the EU statistics office.

Read more: Fleeing — but not to Europe

This year's figure is even more dramatic when compared to the number of asylum applications filed at the height of refugee and migrant arrivals in 2015. That year, 1.25 million refugees requested asylum across the 28-member bloc.

Germany top destination country

The Eurostat data showed that Germany remained the top EU destination country for refugees fleeing war in the Middle East and conflicts and poverty in Africa and Asia.

Germany received almost a third of this year's first-time asylum applications, followed by Italy and Greece.

Read more: Opinion — The EU is divided by refugee policy

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland An old factory on the outskirts of Thebes At the premises of the old Sakiroglou textile factory, in an industrial area just outside Thebes, a new reception center for refugees and migrants with a capacity of 700 people was launched last spring. Thebes hosts mainly refugee families and unaccompanied minors who have come from the islands, primarily Lesbos. They live here in container facilities or small apartments.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland The school year has started On the day we visited the camp in Thebes, refugees and migrants were being registered for language and integration courses. Αpart from the UN refugee agency and the IOM, Greek NGOs such as ARSIS as well as international ones like Solidarity Now are active here. Doctors of the World provides primary health care. This refugee camp is also supported by the local government and the army.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Eleonas, a refugee village in Athens After Thebes, our second stop was Eleonas in Attica, close to the center of Athens. This is the first open refugee hosting center, which began operating in 2015, when the refugee crisis reached its peak. Despite its problems, it was considered from the very beginning to be an exemplary center for Greece, unlike the first reception and accommodation centers on the Aegean islands.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Emphasis on education Many of the refugees and migrants hosted in Eleona want to leave for Central and Northern Europe — mostly Germany. They are offered intensive English and German courses, as well as Greek courses for those who are considering staying in Greece or those who just want to feel a bit more integrated into Greek society.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Disturbing the calm waters of Kavala The massive arrival of migrants last year at the port of Kavala rocked the quiet northern city. Many people rushed to see the newcomers. Most welcomed or simply accepted all those who fled from their homelands. This photo was taken by journalist Giorgos Karanikas.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Volunteers and municipal workers at Kavala's refugee camp According to the volunteers and residents of the city, the majority of people have no problem with the refugees and migrants hosted in the former military camp, not far from the city center. Most people who work here want to help. Despina Tsolakidou and Evi Drakonti are two of them.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Ioannina: An old οrphanage turns into a refugee center The former children's institution of Aghia Eleni, created shortly after the Second World War by Queen Frideriki, has been transformed into new accommodation for refugees and migrants. Mostly families are hosted here, waiting for their reunification applications to be processed. Until then, they are preparing for the cold winter.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland The teacher from Aleppo Every single person at the refugee camps has his or her own story, anxieties and journey through the war zones of Syria, the mountains of Turkey, or the turbulent waters of the Aegean. Amsa was a high school teacher from Aleppo. A bomb killed her daughter. She is stranded in Greece waiting for her family reunification application to be accepted. Meanwhile, she teaches Arabic to volunteers.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland Konitsa, the small city that never forgets Even Konitsa, at the Greek-Albanian border, offers accommodation to refugees mainly from Syria. Most of them told DW that they feel safe and welcome here. Konitsa Mayor Andreas Papaspyrou told us that the city itself has a refugee past. In the early 1920's, Greek Orthodox refugees from Asia Minor and Cappadocia found a new home here.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland 'We want to go to Germany' Konitsa's accommodation center hosts approximately 80 people who belong to so-called vulnerable groups. Most of them stay here temporarily, while others already have the green light to leave Greece. The Derwish family from Qamishli, Syria left their homeland in order to secure a peaceful future for their kids. They only have one destination in mind: Germany. Author: Dimitra Kyranoudi



There are some discrepancies between the EU data and the year-end figures recently provided by Germany's Interior Ministry. The EU registered 137,385 new asylum requests in Germany between January and September. Berlin put the number higher, at 207,157 asylum applicants; however, the ministry's data runs from January to November.

Watch video 05:54 Share Forgotten people on Lesbos Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2pa8P Forgotten people on Lesbos

The Interior Ministry also noted that the number of new asylum requests was 71 percent less than last year's 723,027 applications. The figures, however, exceed German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere's prediction that the number of new asylum-seekers for this year would stay below 200,000.

On average, less than half of asylum applications in the EU are approved the first time around, according to Eurostat. In the last quarter of the year in Germany, only 48 percent of asylum applications were accepted.

Read more: Germany accused of delaying refugee family reunifications

The sharp fall in asylum applications is likely due to the closure of the so-called "Balkan route," as well as the EU's controversial refugee deal with Turkey. Meanwhile, Italian authorities, backed by Germany and the EU, have intensified efforts in the Mediterranean Sea to stop migrants reaching Italy from northern Africa.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initially liberal refugee policies saw the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees in 2015.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Odd one out Dragan (center), a Macedonian migrant, is hidden in the forests near the Serbian-Croatian border, as he tries to cross to central Europe with other migrants from Arab countries. Dragan, along with one Chinese migrant, is an oddity among the hundreds of Syrians and Afghans stranded in Šid, Serbia

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Plotting their next move Afghan asylum seekers on the roof of an old abandoned factory in Sid, which serves as a temporary abode, while away their time as they plot their next move to try and reach a western European country.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Risking their lives Migrants walk on the railway tracks which connect Serbia and Croatia near the northern village of Sid, Serbia. According to reports, two people were hit by a train after they had fallen asleep on the tracks.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Living in the "Jungle" More than 150 people are hidden in the so-called jungle — an area with dense bushes next to the train lines which connect Serbia and Croatia. Most have tried to cross to western Europe in different ways: either with the help of smugglers, alone or in groups, by jumping on trucks or hiding in freight train wagons.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Washing away the dirt Ibrahim from Afghanistan washes himself in a cold stream under a bridge near the Serbian village of Sid. Hundreds of refugees and migrants live in untenable conditions, without basic facilities and amenities.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Breakfast on wheels "No Name Kitchen" is run by a small group of volunteers who distribute breakfast and provide help to refugees and migrants stranded on the Serbian-Croatian border. The authorities have largely abandoned the refugees.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Maybe next time Jadali, 22, from Afghanistan, had just returned to Sid following a failed attempt to reach western Europe. He was stuck in jail in Croatia for two days before being released by the authorities, who, as he claims, treated him roughly.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Food, glorious food Two migrants cook dinner for those who gather in the abandoned factory during the evenings near the Serbian border village. Hundreds of asylum seekers face hunger, hardship, injuries and daily violence as they try to survive in the middle of nowhere.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Tracks of my tears A migrant walks towards a freight train. Moments later he will try to hide in an abandoned wagon in an attempt to cross the Croatian border and eventually reach another European country.

Living in the jungle: Refugees stranded at the Serbian-Croatian border Next stop western Europe? Those who can afford more expensive smuggling methods choose to pay taxis to take them across Croatia. The price for a ride is around €1,200 ($1,400). Author: Dimitris Tosidis (Serbia)



rs/tj (AFP, dpa)