Author
Overview of statistical practice
The State Agency for Refugees (SAR) publishes monthly statistical reports on asylum applicants and main nationalities, as well as overall first instance decisions.[1] Further information is shared with non-governmental organisations in the context of the National Coordination Mechanism. The Ministry of Interior also publishes monthly reports on the migration situation, which include figures on apprehension, capacity, and occupancy of reception centres.[2]
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2023
| Applicants in 2023 (1) | Pending at
end of 2023 |
Total decisions in 2023 (2) | Total substantive decisions (3) | Refugee status | Subsidiary protection | Humanitarian protection (4) | Rejection (5) | |
| Total | 22,518 | 11,951 | 24,949 | 8,738 | 106 | 5,682 | N/A | 2,950 |
| Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers | ||||||||
| Syria | 12,416 | 6,774 | 13,167 | 5,759 | 72 | 5,550 | N/A | 137 |
| Afghanistan | 5,906 | 4,179 | 6,426 | 194 | 10 | 17 | N/A | 167 |
| Morocco | 2,580 | 192 | 3,282 | 1,985 | 0 | 2 | N/A | 1,983 |
| Iraq | 695 | 192 | 1,007 | 281 | 5 | 19 | N/A | 257 |
| Egypt | 184 | 61 | 168 | 57 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 57 |
| Algeria | 131 | 24 | 155 | 84 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 84 |
| Pakistan | 104 | 92 | 116 | 11 | 1 | 4 | N/A | 6 |
| Stateless | 93 | 59 | 107 | 47 | 0 | 34 | N/A | 13 |
| Iran | 82 | 72 | 93 | 31 | 1 | 22 | N/A | 8 |
| Russia | 75 | 115 | 149 | 114 | 14 | 5 | N/A | 95 |
Source: State Agency for Refugees.
(1) “Applicants in year” refers to the total number of applicants, not only to first-time applicants.
(2) Statistics on decisions cover the decisions taken throughout the year, regardless of whether they concern applications lodged that year or in previous years.
(3) The total 24,949 decisions issued include 8,738 substantive decisions (status granting, status refusals, inadmissibility and manifestly unfounded decisions) and 16,211 decisions terminating asylum procedures due to absconding.
(4) The national law does not provide for any other form of additional protection except the humanitarian statuses, which is based on article 15 QD, i.e. it is a term used to transpose this article of the Qualification Directive into national law.
(5) “Rejection” only covers negative decisions on the merit of the application.
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2023
| Substantive rejection rate | Substantive protection rate | Refugee rate | Subsidiary
protection rate |
|
| Total | 44% | 66% | 1% | 65% |
| Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers | ||||
| Syria | 3% | 97% | 1% | 96% |
| Afghanistan | 86% | 14% | 5% | 9% |
| Morocco | 99.9% | 0.1% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Iraq | 90% | 10% | 2% | 8% |
| Egypt | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Algeria | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pakistan | 55% | 45% | 9% | 36% |
| Stateless | 28% | 72% | 0% | 72% |
| Iran | 26% | 74% | 3% | 71% |
| Russia | 84% | 16% | 12% | 4% |
Source: State Agency for Refugees. Calculations made by the author based on official data on asylum decisions.
Note: These rates are calculated based on substantive decisions only (including inadmissibility), excluding rejections due to absconding.
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2023
| Adults | Children | ||
| Accompanied | Unaccompanied | ||
| Number | 16,798 | 1,877 | 3,843 |
| Percentage | 75% | 8% | 17% |
| Men | Women | |
| Number | 20,297 | 2,221 |
| Percentage | 90% | 10% |
Source: State Agency for Refugees.
First instance and appeal decision rates: 2023
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions | 24,949[3] | 427 | ||
| Positive decisions | 5,788 | 23% | 74 | 17% |
|
106 | 0.4% | not available | not available |
|
5,682 | 22% | not available | not available |
| Negative decisions | 2 950 | 12% | 353 | 83% |
Source: State Agency for Refugees.
[1] SAR, Statistics and reports, available at: https://bit.ly/2ur0Y1a.
[2] Ministry of Interior, Migration statistics, available at: https://bit.ly/48C57wC.
[3] SAR reg. No. №РД05-31 from 15 January 2024: including decisions for discontinuation of asylum procedures due to absconding.