CHAPTER 5
Figure
| Main countries
of asylum
for new
asylum-seekers | 2007-2016, (in thousands)
Main 17
countries
of asylum
for new
asylum-seekers
2007 - 2016, (in thousands)
50
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
Austria
’13
’14
250
’15
500
’16
400
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Malaysia
Russian Fed.
South Africa
Sudan
Sweden
Turkey
UKa
USAb
a
Excludes the applications for appeal/administrative review.
Cases are multiplied by average number of persons per case.
b
During 2016, France received 78,400 new individual
asylum claims and became the fifth-largest
recipient. In addition, the composition of the
countries of origin of asylum claimants changed
from the previous year. Albania became the most
common country of origin with 6,900 claims, more
than double those received in 2015 (3,200). Afghan,
Sudanese, and Syrian asylum claimants were the
next most common group with 6,100 claims each,
followed by Haiti (5,200) and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (3,300).
Greece saw more than a fourfold increase in new
individual asylum claims, from 11,400 in 2015 to 49,800.
More than half of these claims were from Syrians
(26,600), compared with 3,300 in 2015. Similarly,
asylum claims from Iraqis increased from 580 in 2015 to
4,800. Asylum claims also were received from
Pakistanis (4,400), Afghans (4,300), Albanians (1,300),
Iranians (1,100), and Bangladeshis (1,100).
A total of 39,900 new individual asylum claims were
received in Austria in 2016, less than half the
number received in 2015 (85,800) although still
higher than in 2014 (28,100). Afghans accounted for
UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2016
most claims (11,500) but this was half the number
received in 2015 (25,200). The number of
applications by Syrians declined even more in 2016,
with 8,600 claims compared with 24,400 in 2015.
The decline in applications from Iraqis was also
notable, dropping from 13,300 in 2015 to 2,700.
Pakistanis submitted 2,400 claims, followed by
Iranians (2,400) and Nigerians (1,600).
Following declines in claims received in Hungary,
the Russian Federation, South Africa, and Sweden
compared with the past few years, the United
Kingdom became the eighth-largest recipient of
new individual asylum claims. That was despite the
fact that the United Kingdom had slightly fewer
claims in 2016 (38,500) than in 2015 (38,900). The
largest number of claims was received from Iranians
(4,800) followed by nationals from Pakistan (3,700),
Iraq (3,700), Afghanistan (3,100), and Bangladesh
(2,200). Eritreans submitted some 1,300 asylum
claims in the United Kingdom in 2016, compared
with 3,800 in 2015.
South Africa was also a recipient of a large number
of new individual asylum claims, receiving 35,400 in
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