Main trends in the number of asylum applicants The number of first-time asylum applicants[1] in the EU-27 decreased by 68 % in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter of 2019 and by 69 % compared with the first quarter of 2020. As such, the number of persons seeking asylum from non-EU countries in the EU-27 during the second quarter of 2020 amounted to 46 500 (Figure 1, Table 2). The number of first-time asylum applicants in the EU-27 accounted for 88 % of the total number of asylum applicants[2] (53 000), recorded in the second quarter of 2020 (Figure 1, Table 2). Figure 1: Asylum applicants, EU-27, between Q1 2014 and Q2 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm)

Where do asylum applicants come from? Citizens of 129 countries, as well as stateless persons, sought asylum for the first time in the EU in the second quarter of 2020. Syrian, Afghan and Venezuelan were the top 3 citizenships of asylum seekers, lodging 7 700, 4 200 and 3 000 applications respectively (Table 1). Table 1: First-time asylum applicants in the EU-27, 30 main citizenships, Q2 2019 – Q2 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm) Compared with the second quarter of 2019, among the thirty main citizenships there were no increases in the number of asylum applicants. The number of asylum applicants decreased most in absolute terms for citizens of Syria (8 400 fewer), Venezuela (7 700 fewer), Afghanistan (5 800 fewer), Colombia (4 900 fewer), Iraq and Georgia (4 500 fewer both) and Nigeria (4 400 fewer) (Table 1). The most substantial relative decrease in the number of asylum applicants in the EU in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter of 2019 was recorded for Albanians (89 % fewer), Georgians (87 % fewer), Salvadorans (85 % fewer) and Ukrainians (81 % fewer) (Figure 2, Table 1). Figure 2: First-time asylum applicants by citizenship, EU-27, relative change between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm) , see country codes

Where do asylum applicants go to? The highest number of first-time asylum applicants in the second quarter of 2020 was registered in Germany (with 14 200 first-time applicants, or 31 % of all first-time applicants in the EU Member States), followed by France (8 900, or 19 %), Spain (7 200, or 15 %) and Greece (4 000, or 9 %). These four Member States together account for almost three-quarters of all first-time applicants in the EU-27 (Table 2). Table 2: Asylum applicants, Q2 2019 – Q2 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm) The number of asylum applicants decreased in all countries in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter of 2019 (Table 2). France (with 23 400 fewer applicants) was the country with the largest absolute decrease in the number of first-time applicants, followed by Spain (21 000 fewer applicants) and Germany (18 900 fewer applicants) . In relative terms, Ireland (92 % fewer), Estonia (88 % fewer), Portgal (87 % fewer), Poland (86 % fewer) and Belgium and Hugary (both 85 % fewer) recorded the largest relative decreases in first-time asylum seekers in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter of 2019 (Figure 3). Among the countries with more than 5 000 applicants in the second quarter of 2020, Spain, France and Germany recorded relative decreases of 74 %, 72 % and 57 % respectively, in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter of 2019. Figure 3: First-time asylum applicants, relative change between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm) , see country codes Syrian was the main citizenship of asylum seekers in ten EU Member States, Afghan in four, while Venezuelan, although among the top 3, was the main citizenship in only one EU Member State, namely Spain (Table 3). Of the 7 700 Syrians who applied for the first time for asylum in the EU in the second quarter of 2020, 59 % were registered in Germany (4 500) while 88 % of 3 000 Venezuelans applied for asylum in Spain (2 700). Of the 4 200 Afghans, 28 % (1 200) applied for the first time for asylum in Germany. (Table 4). Table 3: Five main citizenships of first-time asylum applicants, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm)

Table 4: Thirty main citizenships of first-time asylum applicants by destination country in the EU 27, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm) Compared with the population of each Member State, the highest rate of registered first-time applicants during the second quarter of 2020 was recorded in Cyprus (989 first-time applicants per million population), followed by Slovenia (441), Greece (376) and Malta (363). By contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Hungary and Poland (both 2 applicants per million population) and Estonia (3 applicants per million population). In total in the EU as a whole, there were 104 first-time asylum applicants per million population in the second quarter of 2020 (Table 2).

Decisions on asylum applications During the second quarter of 2020, 94 600 first instance decisions[3] were made by the national authorities of EU Member States. Among them, 51 % were positive (i.e. granting a type of protection status) (Table 5). Table 5: First instance decisions by outcome and recognition rates, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Germany issued the most total first instance decisions[4] during the second quarter of 2020 (33 300 decisions), followed by Greece (18 300), France (14 100), Spain (8 100), Italy (5 100) and Sweden (4 200) (Figure 4). These six Member States accounted together for 88 % of all first instance decisions issued in the EU-27. For more detailed information about the distribution of decision outcomes please refer to Table 6. Figure 4: First instance decisions by outcome, selected Member States, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Table 6: First instance decisions by citizenship and outcome, selected Member States, 2nd quarter 2020- Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Most first instance decisions in the EU-27 were issued to Syrians (21 800), followed by Afghans (8 500), Venezuelans (7 200), Iraqis (5 800), Turks (4 200) and Nigerians (3 500) (Table 7, Figure 5). Syrians received the highest number of decisions granting protection status in the EU Member States, including protection based on national legislations (19 800 positive first instance decisions, or 91 % rate of recognition[5]) (Table 7). For more detailed information on decision outcomes please refer to Table 8. Table 7: First instance decisions by outcome and recognition rates, 30 main citizenships of asylum applicants granted decisions in the EU-27, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Figure 5: First instance decisions in the EU-27 by outcome, selected citizenships, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Table 8: First instance decisions by destination country and outcome in the EU-27, selected citizenships of asylum applicants, 2nd quarter 2020 - Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)

Data sources The data used for this publication are provided to Eurostat by the interior and justice ministries or immigration agencies of the Member States and EFTA countries. Data on asylum applications are collected monthly while data on first instance decisions are collected quarterly. Data are based entirely on relevant administrative sources. Apart from statistics on first asylum applicants, these data are supplied in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection. All data presented in this publication are rounded to the nearest 5, and are provisional (except as otherwise stated) and may be subject to change.