THE RECENT SURGE IN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE EU
5. The number of asylum seekers arriving at the EU borders is unparalleled in recent
times. In 2015 about 995,000 first-time asylum applications were submitted in EU countries through
October, more than twice the number over the same period in 2014 (Figure 1).3 The increase has
been fastest in Germany, Hungary, and Sweden, partly due to geographic location (Hungary) and
partly due to the refugees’ desire to reach more prosperous and accepting EU member states
(Germany and Sweden). The presence of well-established ethnic networks also plays a role in the
choice of destination.
6. The large flow of asylum seekers may persist for some time. There are an estimated
8 million displaced people inside Syria, an additional 4 million Syrians in neighboring countries, and
conflicts continue in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea.4 Moreover, flows from other parts of Africa are
intensifying. Given all these geopolitical factors, there is large uncertainty surrounding forecasts of
asylum applications. With about 2 million foreign displaced individuals, Turkey plays a key role as
first step and transition country (see Box 1). Within Europe, Greece and Italy often serve as the first
landing point for refugees arriving by sea.
7. While most asylum seekers come from conflict-ridden countries, until recently
significant numbers came also from the Balkans. In the first ten months of 2015, Syrians and
people from the Balkans each accounted for around a quarter and 15 percent of asylum seekers,
respectively. Other countries with a large share of asylum seekers included Afghanistan (13 percent),
Iraq (9 percent), and Pakistan (4 percent). However, most applications from Balkan asylum seekers
were rejected, compared with much higher acceptance rates of above 85 percent for asylum seekers
from Syria and Iraq. In the fall, the number of asylum seekers from Balkan countries appears to have
declined substantially.
8. Asylum seekers make up an increasing share of migration to the EU, though the share
of refugees in the population remains small. In 2013, asylum seekers represented 27 percent of
immigration of non-EU citizens overall, and the share is likely to have increased significantly in
2014 and 2015. However, at end-2014, the number of refugees per 1,000 inhabitants ranged from
0.01 in Latvia, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, to 14.8 in Sweden. In comparison, the highest proportions