Author
Overview of statistical practice
The Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) publishes monthly statistical reports, providing information on asylum applicants and first instance decisions.[1] In addition, statistical information may be found in the reports of the Contact Group on International Protection, bringing together national authorities, UNHCR and civil society organisations.[2]
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2020
| Applicants in 2020 | Pending at end 2020 | Refugee status | Subsidiary protection | Rejection | Protection rate | Refugee rate | Subs. Prot. rate | Rejection rate | |||
| Total | 16,910
|
15,775
|
4,888
|
948
|
10,592
|
34,1% | 29,8% | 5,7% | 64,5% | ||
| Breakdown by main countries of origin: | |||||||||||
| Afghanistan | 3,104 | 1,679 | 208 | 365 | 1.067 | 32,9% | 12,7% | 22,3% | 65% | ||
| Syrië | 1,725 | 1,082 | 1.331 | 168 | 988 | 62,8% | 53,5% | 6,8% | 39,7% | ||
| Irak | 864 | 625 | 163 | 49 | 794 | 20,3% | 16,2% | 4,9% | 78,9% | ||
| Eritrea | 832 | 641 | 612 | 0 | 147 | 78,6% | 80,6% | / | 19,4% | ||
| Palestina | 788 | 1,753 | 307 | 2 | 1.227 | 19,5% | 20% | 0,1% | 79,9% | ||
| Somalië | 747 | 351 | 270 | 73 | 271 | 51,7% | 44% | 11,9% | 44,1% | ||
| Turkije | 671 | 553 | 367 | 0 | 217 | 60,4% | 62,8% | / | 37,2% | ||
| Guinee | 656 | 713 | 182 | 3 | 681 | 21,9% | 21% | 0,4% | 78,6% | ||
| El Salvador | 538 | 908 | 32 | 34 | 834 | 7,8% | 3,6% | 3,8% | 92,7% | ||
| Albanië | 447 | 154 | 7 | 0 | 414 | 1,6% | 1,7% | / | 98,3% | ||
Source: CGRS. The figures provided in the first row on total decisions refer to persons (not to cases), while the total rates refer to the number of cases (not persons). These decisions were taken by the CGRS in 2020, irrespective of the year of submission of the asylum application. The figures provided in the other rows, i.e. the breakdown by 10 countries of origin, also refer to persons (not to cases). Rejection includes inadmissibility decisions.
In terms of number of cases however the number of decisions provided by the CGRS is as follows: 3,743 refugee status, 845 subsidiary protection, and 8,854 rejections.[3] The protection rate is the proportion of cases (one case can include several persons) for which the CGRS granted refugee status or subsidiary protection status in relation to the total number of cases in which a final decision was taken (= the total number of decisions – interim decisions) – withdrawals & cessations. In 2020, the CGRS took 4,487 inadmissibility decisions, which concerned 3,748 (this includes 5 subcategories: subsequent applications, international protection in another EU Member State, accompanied minor making his/her own request for international protection, first country of asylum and nationals of EU Member states). A breakdown per subcategory and per country is not available.
The higher proportion of inadmissibility decisions for subsequent applicants (mainly Afghans and Iraqis) and especially for applicants who already benefit from protection in another Member State (mainly Syrians, Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghans) are the main reason for the decrease of the protection rate. When these cases are not taken into consideration, the protection rate is at 47,3%.[4]
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2020
| Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of applicants | 16,910 | 100% |
| Men | 8,255 | 48,8% |
| Women | 3,487 | 20,6% |
| Accompanied children | 5,168 | 22,7% |
| Unaccompanied children * | 1,335 | 7,9% |
Source: CGRS. Situation on 8 January 2021.
Comparison between first instance and appeal decision rates: 2020
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions | 17.384 | 100% | : | : |
| Positive decisions | 5.836 | 33,6% | : | : |
| Refugee status | 4.888 | 28,1% | : | : |
| Subsidiary protection | 948 | 5,5% | : | : |
| Negative decisions | 10.592 | 60,9% | : | : |
| Intermediary decisions | 794 | 4,6% | : | : |
| Protection status ended or revoked | 162 | 0,9% | : | : |
| Annulments | : | : | ||
Source: CGRS, CALL. The percentage at first instance is calculated on the total number of decisions, which also includes intermediary decisions as well as cessations and revocations. Statistics on the appeal procedure were not available at the time of writing.
[1] CGRS, Figures, available in French at: http://bit.ly/2XYZoiL.
[2] Myria, Contact group international protection, available in French at: http://bit.ly/2l1LR47.
[3] CGRS, Figures 2020, available in French at: http://bit.ly/2XYZoiL, 7.
[4] CGRS, Statistiques d’asile – bilan 2020, available at: http://bit.ly/2XYZoiL.