Eurostat Sees Year-on-Year Rise Of 115% In First-Time Asylum Seekers In Q2

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) The number of first-time asylum applicants in the EU countries has increased by 115% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same period last year, Eurostat, the bloc's official statistics bureau, said on Friday.

"During Q2 2021, there were some 103 895 first-time asylum seekers applying for international protection in countries of the EU. This was up by 115% when compared with Q2 2020 (48 370 first-time applicants), and up by 9% when compared with the Q1 2021 (95 265). However, it was still below the pre-pandemic levels observed in Q2 2019 - down by 28%," Eurostat said in a statement.

The statistics service noted that most of the first-time asylum seekers are from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Germany, France and Spain are the most popular destinations.

Eurostat also recorded a 19% rise in applications from unaccompanied minors compared to this year's first quarter.

"In Q2 2021, most of the unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in Belgium (620), Austria (615), Germany (610) and Bulgaria (555). However, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Malta did not record any unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in Q2 2021," the bureau added.

Countries around the globe are bracing themselves for a new wave of migrants as people have been scrambling to leave Afghanistan in the wake of the takeover by the Taliban (terrorist group, banned in Russia).