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Euroactiv: EU seeks reduction, but the number of Albanian asylum seekers doubles in 2022

Politiko 2022-09-30 08:51:13

Euroactiv: EU seeks reduction, but the number of Albanian asylum seekers doubles

Between January and June 2022, 5,800 Albanians sought asylum in the European Union, twice as many as last year. Great Britain alone faced around 6,000 Albanian asylum seekers this summer.

Albania has become one of the main countries for asylum requests in the EU, year after year, despite being a safe country of origin. Reducing this number is an essential requirement to continue on the path to EU membership, however the numbers continue to remain high.

The highest number of asylum seekers from Albania in EU countries was recorded in 2015 when a massive wave of immigration to the country began. In the period January-July 2015, nearly 34,000 requests were registered, while for the whole year, the number reached 70,000.

Then the pace gradually slowed, and while the pandemic year marked the lowest level of the last decade, the numbers have started to rise again.

In the UK, Albanians made up around 60% of all those crossing the Channel illegally by boat during the summer months and up to 80% of all asylum applications. About 53% of requests have been approved in the first instance, while many are still awaiting decisions.

These figures also do not account for the thousands who leave the country through regular channels such as employment, education and family reunification. But figures for the current population in Albania are hard to come by as the census, originally planned for 2021, has been postponed several times.

Source: Euroactiv

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