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Overview of statistical practice
The Swedish Migration Agency publishes monthly statistical reports on asylum applications and first instance decisions.[1] These include a breakdown per nationality, as well as statistics specifically relating to unaccompanied children.
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2021
| Applicants in 2021 | Pending at end 2021 | Refugee status | Subsidiary protection | Humanitarian protection | Rejection | Refugee rate | Sub. Prot. rate | Humanitarian Prot. rate | Rejection rate | ||
| Total | 11,412 | 5,509 | 2,112 | 637 | 275 | 7,970 | 19% | 6% | 3% | 72% | |
| Breakdown by the 10 most common countries of origin of the total numbers: | |||||||||||
| Afghanistan | 1,491 | 1,147 | 271 | 40 | 11 | 247 | 45% | 7% | 2% | 46% | |
| Syria | 1,274 | 667 | 369 | 334 | 16 | 234 | 39% | 35% | 2% | 24% | |
| Iraq | 934 | 558 | 71 | 17 | 17 | 497 | 12% | 3% | 3% | 82% | |
| Ukraine | 523 | 165 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 491 | 0,2% | 0,8% | 0 | 99% | |
| Turkey | 492 | 387 | 283 | 1 | 9 | 149 | 64% | 0% | 2% | 34% | |
| Somalia | 456 | 221 | 84 | 6 | 11 | 274 | 22% | 2% | 3% | 73% | |
| Eritrea | 406 | 127 | 217 | 13 | 10 | 99 | 64% | 4% | 3% | 29% | |
| Iran | 376 | 235 | 247 | 0 | 9 | 461 | 34% | 0% | 1% | 64% | |
| Stateless persons | 347 | 171 | 82 | 28 | 36 | 159 | 27% | 9% | 12% | 52% | |
| Ethiopia | 301 | 141 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 234 | 12% | 1% | 1% | 86% | |
Source: Migration Agency Monthly Statistical Report December 2021, Dnr: 1.1.1.2-2021-2118, pages. 8, 14; Migration Agency, Monthly Statistical Report December 2021, Dnr: 1.1.1.2-2021-2118, pages. 8, 9, 14; Statistics provided by the Migration Agency’s statistics unit Eurostat, table A05, A06, A08. (Please note that decisions according to the Dublin regulation are not included as rejections).
*Statistics on decisions cover the decisions taken throughout the year, regardless of whether they concern applications lodged that year or in previous years. “Rejection” only covers negative decisions on the merit of the application, not inadmissibility decisions.
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2021
| Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of applicants | 11,419 | 100% |
| Men (incl. children) | 7,200 | 63% |
| Women (incl. children) | 4,219 | 37% |
| Children | 2,754 | 24% |
| Unaccompanied children | 507 | 4% |
Source: Migration Agency, Asylum statistics, available at: http://bit.ly/2kkz2Vu; See also Migration Agency Yearly Statistical Report 2021, Dnr 1.3.2-2022-2199, pages 55-56. Please note that there is a minor discrepancy in these figures.
Comparison between first instance and appeal decision rates: 2021
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions | 12,793 | 100% | 12,709 | 100% |
| Positive decisions | 3,310 | 26% | 92 | 7% |
| · Refugee status | 2,112 | 17% | not available | not available |
| · Subsidiary protection | 637 | 5% | not available | not available |
| Negative decisions | 7,970 | 62% | 9,799 | 77% |
Source: Migration Agency Monthly Statistical Report December 2021, Dnr: 1.1.1.2-2021-2118, page 8, 14, 19. See also Migration Agency, Asylum statistics, available at: http://bit.ly/2kkz2Vu where the total number of decisions is recorded as 12,804, comprising 3,313 positive decisions and 6,641 negative decisions. However, these numbers include Dublin decisions. According to the Migration Agency’s Monthly Statistical Report, positive decisions make up 32% of the total number of decisions tried on the merits of the application (excluding Dublin decisions and other cases not tried on the merits). However, the total numbers from the two sources does not seem to add up.
[1] Migration Agency, Asylum statistics, available at: http://bit.ly/2kkz2Vu.