Europe’s asylum woes look set to continue with Eurostat reporting a 41% increase in asylum applicants compared to last year. Afghanistan (9,310) and Syria (9,885) were the primary countries of origin of the 76,505 first-time asylum applicants that arrived in Europe in February of 2023.
Europe has been dealing with an asylum tidal wave since the Russian attack on Ukraine which displaced an estimated 8.2 million Ukrainians. Mediterranean and Central European nations recorded a return to 2014 crisis levels of refugee arrivals.
Germany and Spain were the primary recipients of asylum applicants in February with 25,335 and 12,840 arriving there respectively, as Hungary recorded the lowest rate, recording just four monthly asylum applications.
Over 10,000 South Americans applied for asylum in Europe in February, led by Colombia (5,160) and Venezuela (5,115) in the wake of a bilateral deal signed by Spain and the United States, in which the Spanish government agreed to accept South American refugees. Poor domestic governance and economic factors are driving South American asylum seekers to Europe, as the Swedish Presidency of the European Council suggested clamping down on visa scams by Venezuelans.
Syrian refugee flow to Europe, which was a defining factor of the 2014 asylum crisis, is continuing despite indications that the 12-year-long civil war could be in its final stages. The collapse of the Western-sponsored Afghan state has prompted a fresh exodus from Afghanistan despite repeated security warnings by European diplomats that the asylum process has been hijacked by Islamists.
European asylum figures look set to break a 2016 record of 1.25 million refugees this year with just under a million applicants in 2022 alone. EU lawmakers have yet to fully respond to the crisis. This month MEPs passed a “disastrous” migration pact to further centralise asylum powers with Brussels.
National governments across Europe are scrambling to at least appear to combat the flow of refugees, as Hungary’s decision to free convicted people smugglers from its prisons triggered a diplomatic spat with Austria just this week.
