In the first half of this year, approximately 16,500 Albanian citizens have applied for asylum in both European Union countries and the United Kingdom.
According to a report released by the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) on Wednesday, there were 4,779 asylum applications from Albanian nationals in European Union countries during the period from January to June 2023, with 3,602 of these being first-time applications.
The EUAA report also indicates that 3,444 previously submitted applications from previous years are currently awaiting review. Out of the 4,642 decisions that have been made, the approval rate for Albanian citizens remains exceedingly low, not exceeding 1%.
On the other hand, British authorities reported a total of 11,790 asylum applications from Albanian nationals during the first six months of this year.
The ongoing trend of Albanian asylum seekers continues to stand out as exceptionally high, not only in comparison to neighboring countries but also within a broader context.
Data from the first half of this year reveals the highest numbers of asylum applications by Albanian citizens in recent years.
In 2022, there were 13,043 asylum applications from Albanians in European Union countries, which marked an increase from 11,210 in 2021 and 6,498 in 2020.
The first half of this year has seen a notable shift in Albanian asylum applications from European Union countries toward the United Kingdom.
According to British immigration authorities, Albanians in England have taken the lead in terms of asylum applications during the first half of this year, surpassing even Afghan nationals.
Furthermore, the European Asylum Agency reports that, in the first half of 2023, there were a total of 519,000 asylum applications across European Union countries, marking a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The agency’s report predicts that, based on current trends, the number of applications could exceed 1 million by the end of 2023. It also highlights the increasing pressure on European Union countries to process these applications and provide protection to individuals in need, with a 34% rise in pending cases since 2022.
In addition to these trends, there are approximately 4 million Ukrainians who have sought refuge due to the Russian occupation, benefiting from Temporary Protection.
The European Asylum Agency emphasizes that these concurrent trends pose significant challenges for asylum authorities and reception systems within the European Union. As of June 2023, the agency was actively providing operational assistance to 13 member states to address these challenges.
