The number of Albanian asylum seekers applying in EU countries doubled in January and February of this year, totalling more than 2000 people.
Thousands of Albanian asylum seekers seek protection in the EU and UK every year. While most are sent back, several hundred receive asylum or other forms of protection. As Albania aspires to join the EU, it is supposed to reduce the number of unfounded asylum applications and while numbers are not as high as they were a few years ago, the root cause of the issue is yet to be tackled.
The figures published by Eurostat show that the number doubled when compared with 2021 but still remains around 20% less than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
France remains the number one preferred destination, receiving more than half of all applications. This is due to favourable conditions for those applying for asylum. The number of applications increased by 130% in the first two months of 2022 when compared with the same period the month before.
Germany is the second most popular country, with 24% of the total- tripling when compared to 2021.
Italy and Greece now rank in third and fourth place respectively.
Common reasons for being granted asylum include fleeing organised crime, domestic violence, sex trafficking, and even, in the case of Agron Tufa in 2020, political persecution.
