Last year, Member States received 21,200 refugees from third countries

Syrians, Afghans and Venezuelans gain asylum in the European Union in 2019

AFP/PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - A social worker gives Portuguese classes to refugees at the Fundao refugee centre in central Portugal

Updated: 03/05/20

The Syrians, Afghans and Venezuelans won asylum and other forms of international protection in the European Union (EU) in 2019, according to Eurostat data published this week. 78,600 Syrians achieved such protection, 27% of the total, followed by Afghans (40,000, 14%) and Venezuelans (37,500, 13%).

By country, the largest number of countries that granted some protection were Germany (116,200, 39 per cent of the total), France (42,100, 14 per cent), Spain (38,500, 13 per cent) and Italy (31,000, 10 per cent). The four countries accounted for three quarters of all positive decisions in the EU.

The number of Venezuelans granted protection increased almost forty-fold in 2019 compared to the previous year, when only 1,000 Venezuelans were granted protection status in the Union.

In the EU, 295,800 applicants were granted asylum in 2019, 6 percent less than in 2018 (316,200). In Spain, the number of people who were granted asylum in 2019 was 38,525. Of those who obtained protection in Spain (asylum or otherwise), 35,275 were Venezuelans (94% of the entire EU), 1,100 Syrians and 270 from El Salvador.

But, in addition, Member States last year took in 21,200 refugees from third countries (known in European jargon as resettlement).

Among those who were granted protection in the EU last year, 141,100 were granted refugee status (48% of positive decisions), followed by those who were granted subsidiary protection (82,100, 28% of the total) and 72,700 were granted protection on humanitarian grounds (25%).

Among the Syrians who were granted some protection in the EU, 71 per cent were registered in Germany (56,100 persons), which also granted such recognition to 16,200 Afghans.

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