2. ASYLUM APPLICATIONS AND DECISIONS The number of asylum applications submitted by stateless persons has remained relatively low throughout the years, varying between 7 and 52 per year, during 2005 to 2012 (see table 3 below). The number has only once during the past six years exceeded 50 applications (in 2010), and only in 2010 and 2011 the number of asylum applications submitted by stateless persons has been over 1 % of the total number of asylum applications submitted. The highest number of asylum applications ever submitted during the course of one year in Finland, close to 6,000 applications, was in 2009. However, the number of stateless persons seeking asylum did not follow the trend but remained at the same level as during the previous years. In 2007, when the number of asylum-seekers was significantly lower than during the previous and preceding years, the number of applications by stateless persons was also at the lowest. On the other hand, the number of asylum applications submitted by persons with unknown nationality increased quite significantly in 2011 and 2012, more than doubling since 2010. Table 3: Asylum applications (2005-2012)73 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Stateless persons 32 18 7 26 20 52 34 27 Not known/“unknown” 23 11 7 27 42 41 76 94 All nationalities73 3576 2324 1505 4035 5988 4018 3088 3129 Source: Migri, http://www.migri.fi/about_us/statistics/statistics_on_asylum_and_refugees The Finnish versions of the asylum decision statistics have been used for this part of the statistical review. The Finnish versions use two separate categories of “unknown nationality” and “nationality not known” (throughout 2005-2012) whereas these have been grouped into one in the English versions. It is not entirely clear why the difference is made between these two categories, but based on the information obtained from Migri74 it seems that the practice of whether unknown nationality should be indicated as “nationality not known” or “unknown nationality” in the register is not consistent, especially at the time of registering an asylum application. Furthermore, based on the review of asylum decisions from 2009-2011, it also seems to partly relate to whether formal citizenship status definition has been conducted or not. At least in 2009-2011, in most cases of nationality unknown a determination of citizenship status was not conducted. The majority of these decisions concerned persons from Kosovo. 20 73 Total of all nationalities, including stateless persons and persons with not known/unknown nationality. 74 E-mail from Migri, 10 September 2012. MAPPING STATELESSNESS IN FINL AND